Teacher dismissed for corporal punishment

A 29-year-old teacher at Hashiyana Primary School in Ongwediva’s Ompundja circuit has been fired after being found guilty of first-degree corporal punishment.

In 2021, Petrus Ndeulita forced a grade seven learner to hold a chair over his head for over an hour as a form of punishment.

In a letter dated 28 October 2021, education ministry executive director Sanet Steenkamp wrote to Ndeulita through his school principal, informing him that he had been charged with misconduct.

Over two and a half years later, Ndeulita was earlier this month found guilty, and was relieved of his duties by Steenkamp, Namibian Sun has learnt.

In early July, Steenkamp wrote to Ndeulita through acting principal Agnes Nghipondoka, informing him that the Office of the Prime Minister - on the recommendation of the Public Service Commission - has approved that he be discharged from the public service. “Your last working day will be the date you receive this letter,” it read.

Refused to sign

In her 2021 letter, Steenkamp told Ndeulita that she had reason to believe he made himself guilty of misconduct and that he should furnish the ministry with a written admission or denial within 14 days. “Should a written admission or denial not be received within the specified time, it will be deemed that he has been found guilty of misconduct as charged and further action will be taken according to the prescribed procedures,” she said.

Ndeulita, however, refused to sign the letter to acknowledge receipt. He told Namibian Sun on Monday that he was traumatised at the way everything was handled back then, and therefore refused to sign the letter.

The school then held a meeting on 22 April 2022, where Ndeulita claimed punitive measures were taken to discharge him “without a disciplinary hearing”.

He remained employed at the school until earlier this month.

Abuse

According to Steenkamp, during the 2021 incident, Ndeulita failed to respect the dignity and constitutional rights of the learner, humiliated and abused him and administered corporal punishment to him.

She said Ndeulita conducted himself in a disgraceful, improper or unbecoming manner, causing embarrassment to the public service while on duty.

Ndeulita defended his actions, saying he was trying to discipline the learner, who was reportedly frequently absent from school without satisfactory reason. He also denied that the punished child ended up suffering from ill health due to his method of punishment.

“As class teacher, I had been observing his absenteeism,” he said, adding that the learner had missed 22 days of school at the time. “Throughout the observations, I questioned him of the cause [for his absenteeism], whereby he gave several reasons - some were relevant, [while] some were not,” he said.

Ndeulita further accused former principal Amon Ndeitwa of a witch-hunt. “The principal, even the way he conducts himself, some of the things are spiritual. There was a time I decided not to go to school because I was traumatised and it was that time I decided I won’t sign [Steenkamp’s letter]. The principal was torturing teachers at the school,” he claimed.

“It was just a set-up due to jealousy. [Ndeitwa] told me he will ‘show me’. [He] wanted to make my name dirty because I challenged him about the nepotism he was doing at the school,” the teacher claimed.

Malicious assault

When approached for comment, Ndeitwa denied that he was ‘out to get’ Ndeulita, and insisted that it was clear teachers are not allowed to effect corporal punishment at schools.

“I did not instruct him to execute any form of assault. It was a malicious first-degree assault that led to a child’s ill health. Ndeulita did not show any remorse by instructing a learner to lift up a chair for an hour while beating the child on his elbows. This is malicious. How could it be a set-up if there are medical records in this matter? I don't have any power to discharge public servants off their duties,” he said.

Nghipondoka refused to comment on the matter and referred Namibian Sun to regional education director Pauline Shapumba.

Shapumba, in turn, said she does not have detailed information on the matter, adding that she is new in the region.

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