KAHENGE – A 33-year-old lower primary teacher in the Bunya circuit of Kavango West, who was earlier denied bail after she allegedly assaulted her learners, was on Thursday granted bail of N$5 000.
The teacher was charged with seven counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and seven counts of assault by threatening learners who were injured after being told to crawl around a tree after they reported late for school last week.
She was granted bail by the Kahenge periodic court on Thursday, on the condition that she may not interfere with State witnesses directly or indirectly or with police investigations directly or indirectly.
The teacher was also ordered by the court not to immediately go back to the same school until the ministry of education decides her placement, whether at the same school or not.
Previously, the State objected to bail on two grounds: Fear that the accused will interfere with State witnesses or investigations and that it will not be in the interest of public safety.
Her defence attorney Bernhard Tjatjara, during her bail application, argued that investigations were 90% complete and his client is not a danger to the public to be regarded as a dangerous criminal but she only enforced discipline at school, as learners were late.
The lawyer said the learners arrived at 11h00 that day and she had no intention to cause them bodily harm.
The Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) wrote a letter to beg for mercy for their member to be granted bail, stating the learners need her back at school, as she was the only teacher, who has been teaching grades 1-3 in the same class by a form of multi grade teaching.
However, the directorate of education, despite her being granted bail, said they don’t need her back to school just yet as they have launched an investigation into the matter and the children will remain home for now.
“To the parents, we apologise for any inconvenience that this incident has brought. We just hope that whatever comes out of the investigations will be beneficial to everyone,” noted Salomon Tenga, spokesperson of the Kavango West Regional Council, under which the directorate falls.
“Although learners will be affected by not attending classes, the directorate would do its best to speed up the process and get a solution to allow learners to go back to school,’’ he said.