Keetmanshoop parents worry about school safety

Parents at Keetmanshoop have raised concerns about the safety of their children at schools.

Speaking to The Namibian yesterday Rizelda Grobelaar, a parent, expressed fear of children being sexually abused by teachers or other children.

“Our schools here at Keetmanshoop are relatively safe. We do not hear of such cases. Our children are vulnerable, imagine my child is Grade 1. But you hear the ages of sexually abused children being as low as two years old,” Grobelaar said.

She referred to recent media reports of a male teacher at Grootfontein who was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy last December and who subsequently resigned while in police custody.

The police report says the teacher was arrested after allegedly assaulting the boy in the school hostel.

His case has been postponed to 29 January.

Shania Strauss, a mother of two returning pupils in Grade 3 and Grade 5, says parents expect their children to receive the best during learning time.

She says parents invest a lot in buying school uniforms, bags, and required stationery.

Strauss says just as schools place demands on parents, teachers too should reciprocate by giving children the best in the classroom.

“Children cannot sit for days waiting to start writing or learning in classrooms. Learning should start from day one. That’s why teachers are required to start earlier to prepare themselves. And that is what we expect from them,” she says.

Another parent, Elizabeth Tjongarero, says finding a school for her children has become difficult due to the lack of hostel accommodation.

Tjongarero works at Naute Dam Date Project situated about 51km outside Keetmanshoop.

She says parents are told that hostel accommodation is not a right for pupils but a privilege, therefore, there are no guarantees that every child will be accommodated because of limited space.

“Especially when your child has failed and is repeating a year. You have to beg the teachers to take that child back. Parents end up renting rooms and paying up to N$500 a month for a room, then you still have to buy electricity and that child also has to eat,” says Tjongarero.

CALLS FOR DISCIPLINE

Minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp has called for the restoration of discipline, moral values and quality teaching in classrooms, saying improved learning outcomes depend on collective responsibility.

Steenkamp says teachers, parents, communities and pupils must work together to strengthen discipline and restore standards in schools.

According to her, moral values in schools should be a priority and does not require additional financial resources.

“Enhancing moral values does not cost money. It requires empathy from our teachers, proper care, discipline and the authority that must be restored in our classrooms. Above all, we must ensure that quality teaching is restored,” Steenkamp says.

She adds that starting the academic year on the right footing would significantly influence pupil performance.

“If we start the year with the right focus and discipline, we will go very far. Restoring discipline in classrooms is a shared responsibility, and everyone must take ownership if we want better learning outcomes.”

Inspector of the Kalahari Circuit at Keetmanshoop, Ryan Assegaai, says various principals prioritised preparing for the new school year to ensure teaching and learning could start from day one, avoiding pupils being idle and losing valuable time.

“Time is of the essence when it comes to schools. We ensured to be ready when schools reopen so we can start immediately. The principals were already busy last week to ensure teacher availability, new appointments, and the preparation of timetables,” Assegaai says.

He assures parents that the ministry is vigilant in preventing any form of abuse against children. He notes that hostel accommodation remains a challenge due to limited space.

*Additional reporting Isabela Bento (Nampa)

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