Lahja Nashuuta
The Outjo Primary School, which was considered one of the best schools in the country, has turned into a battlefield because teachers and the principal allegedly regularly hurl insults at each other in the presence of pupils.
The school, located in the Kunene region, is one of the oldest institutions in the country, with an enrolment of more than 1 000 pupils.
Principal Harry Ashipala has been accused of misappropriating school funds and verbally abusing his subordinates, which led to the resignation of one teacher.
Kunene education director Sofia Frederick confirmed that her office had launched investigations into allegations of mismanagement of funds, but she was not aware of allegations of corporal punishment meted out to learners, or other alleged wrongdoings at the school.
“That is news to me, and thank you for alerting me. I will take it up with the deputy director and the regional inspector to investigate those allegations, and we will give you feedback as soon as we gather all the information,” she stated.
Ashipala is accused by his subordinates of arrogance, abuse of power, a sense of entitlement and demotivating staff members through unreasonable work demands, accompanied by unfair and harsh criticism. Such remarks are allegedly made both privately and publicly.
“The principal is making teachers’ lives difficult. He is always bullying them. Female teachers are mostly on the receiving end as they are always being dressed down in front of their counterparts, especially during staff meetings. He deprives teachers of their special leave days, and holds grudges against those who do not subscribe to his harsh orders,” said a teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of victimisation.
This situation has allegedly caused serious tension at the school, affecting day-to-day activities, including both teachers’ and learners’ performance.
Sources claim Ashipala is autocratic in running the school, and unilaterally makes all decisions at the school, including the appointment of teachers, and also does not take kindly to being questioned about those decisions.
“When addressing us, he doesn’t want to be questioned. Teachers are also not allowed to attend funerals, even for their immediate relatives. Posts at the school are reserved for those who spy on others; and relatives and friends,” said a teacher.
A former teacher at the school claims to have taken early retirement as he could no longer tolerate the principal’s authoritarian management style.
“It has affected us emotionally, and drained us. We would go home every day and complain to our families. The situation has taken a toll on our daily lives. He is disrespectful; he would scream, order us around, even when pupils are in the class. We are in a toxic loop, and he is destroying the school,” lamented a teacher.
Failing teachers
Ashipala has, however, dismissed all the allegations against him as “baseless.”
“All the allegations levelled against me by a few who are failing as teachers are false, and meant to tarnish my image and that of the school,” he said. “People come here and do as they please. This is a government school which uses taxpayers’ money, and we must deliver on what we are recruited to do,” he continued.
He made counter-allegations that the aggrieved teachers are those who report late for work, do not prepare for lessons, do not have timetables, release children to the playground without supervision, administer corporal punishment on children, and verbally abuse the learners while “sunbathing.”
“People want me to sit back and relax. No, that will not happen because everything rises and falls with leadership,” he stressed.
Ashipala claimed that he is only applying the Public Service Charter directives, applicable legislation, regulations and personnel administration measures as stipulated by the Education Act.
Enid van Wyk Pienaar, a Life Skills teacher, came out in support of Ashipala, claiming that there were issues between certain teachers and the principal.
“I am aware of one unhappy teacher, and for me, I think it is a personal issue between the two. However, there is a need for them to find a solution because it is getting out of hand, especially when they attack each other on school WhatsApp platforms.
I don’t have any issues with the principal, but the last time we had an issue was when he was not so happy with the performance of my learners. He called me in, and together we found a solution to the problem,” she said.
Pienaar noted that Ashipala is a ‘perfectionist’, and only wants teachers to deliver. “Sometimes he might sound aggressive in his address, but he just does that to make sure teachers do their work,” she observed.
Pienaar described Ashipala as a visionary, a good planner, and an administrator who is credited by various parents and residents for maintaining the government school, which is currently performing on par with some private schools in the region.
Another teacher accused his fellow teachers of being “toxic and disrespectful towards the head of the school.”
“Teachers who feel bullied must speak for themselves, and not generalise the issue. I personally don’t have issues with the principal. He is a very dedicated and committed leader whose work is worth emulating,” said another teacher who serves on the school board. “He is very serious with his work, and always on time. The first day we open the school, we already have our year planner, and we already know how the academic year will look. He likes things to be in order. The bullying allegations are just coming from colleagues who are not doing their work, and when it is time to deliver, the problem starts,” said another teacher.
Warnings
The acting chairperson of the school board, Barlemeus !Aibeb, has warned teachers not to turn the school into a “battleground.” He said they should stop attacking and hurling insults at each other in full view of pupils, some as young as six years old.
The acting chairperson was referring to an incident where a pre-primary teacher exchanged harsh words with the principal after he refused to sign an assessment report for a child who was allegedly assessed and given marks while he was absent.
The teacher allegedly submitted learners’ progress reports to the principal to sign, but he picked up that one of the children, whom he was informed by the parent would not be at school, was also assessed. Besides that, the teacher’s document was also different from the school template or guideline.
The principal’s questioning of the report resulted in the teacher hurling insults at him in the presence of the pupils. !Aibeb described the incident as “disturbing.”
“We are concerned that people are unable to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way,” he said.
Corporal punishment
!Aibeb further said some teachers are not only turning on each other, but also against learners. He said a parent of a Grade One pupil opened a case against a teacher for allegedly assaulting her six-year-old son with a pipe, and twisting his arm.
The teacher allegedly admitted her misdeeds to the principal, saying the child was misbehaving. The same teacher allegedly damaged the eardrum of another learner in pre-primary, who has since developed hearing problems.
Another teacher allegedly demoted some Grade Three learners for failing a test to Grade Two, without the principal’s authorisation.
“But teachers do not have the right to demote learners. Learners are allowed to repeat the grade, but not to be sent back to the lower grade,” said !Aibeb.
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