Staff Reporter
Ongwediva-More than 300 people at Drimiopsis School in the Omaheke region peacefully demonstrated against alleged discrimination of San children.
The demonstrators also called for the immediate removal of the school principal, accusing her of allegedly excluding both San learners and parents from the school.
The march on Thursday last week was organised by the local San young women’s group. A petition was signed by 130 participants.
The petition, read by Johannes Abusema on behalf of the group, also called on the school to put an end to corporal punishment, abusive and degrading treatment of the San leaners and their parents.
The parents want the school instead to create a respectful and culturally inclusive learning environment for all the children at the institution.
“We want corporal punishment to be stopped at our school. Teachers must know that corporal punishment is negatively affecting our children. In the morning the children do not want to go to school because they are mistreated and insulted at school because they are San,” said Maria Garises, leader of the local women’s group.
Another group member Josephine Stuurman said they will not step back and will not tolerate any violence to be inflicted on their children.
“We are standing up for our children,” Stuurman said.
The parents echoed that the demonstration is the first step in promoting and ensuring their children’s right to education is uphold and to protect them from violence.
In exception of the maltreatment, the parents expressed that they want their children to do well at school citing that many San children at the school cannot read.
The parents claim that they have for too long been belittled but the time has come for them to voice their concerns with the ultimate goal of ensuring that their children get a fair chance in
education.
Caption (demonstrator’s jpg)