Corpun file 5972

The Namibian, Windhoek, 2 July 1999

Teachers lashed over corporal punishment

By Helge Schutz

THE new acting president of Mighty Nanso, Dorkas Eva Nangolo, has expressed dismay that teachers in the North appear to have used a recent demonstration by pupils to try and deflect attention from the return of corporal punishment at some schools.

About a week ago a pupil at Ongandjera drank alcohol at a school, "causing conflict at the school", according to Nangolo.

She said certain teachers then called the unruly pupil's parents to their office and asked their permission to spank the child. The parents apparently agreed.

The pupils then protested against corporal punishment.

However, the teachers then said the demonstration was the result of students' demands to be allowed to drink at school.

Quite the contrary, said Nangolo, it was against corporal punishment at school.

"This is totally unfair and unconstitutional," Nangolo fumed earlier this week. "The teachers twisted the facts deliberately, saying that the demonstration was to allow alcohol at schools, which was never the case [...]

"Their actions are completely unconstitutional since corporal punishment is not allowed by the Namibian Constitution," she said in an interview with The Namibian.

Nangolo said she was in complete agreement that alcohol should not be allowed on school premises, but that codes of conduct already existed at schools to deal with such problems.

She added that the demonstration stemmed directly from the teachers' behaviour and called for disciplinary codes of conduct for teachers.