Outapi – Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Karina Hanse-Himarwa has urged male and female teachers to avoid indulging in sexual relationships with learners.
Addressing thousands of teachers from all over the Omusati Region last Friday, Hanse-Himarwa said nowadays it is not only male teachers indulging in sexual relations with learners but also female teachers, especially the younger ones also pursue schoolboys.
“Stop the practice of sugar daddies and sugar mummies or ‘gogoism’ as it is now known. I know nowadays teachers are now graduating from the university when they are 23 or 24 and some of the boys in school are also of the same age. When they pursue you tell them that they are just boys and they need to finish school,” she told teachers.
“Sexual relationships between teachers and learners, how adults engage in this is beyond my comprehension. As teachers, you are ‘in loco parentis’, simply translated meaning in the place of a parent. We cannot engage in sexual relationships with the very children we are supposed to take care of,” said Hanse-Himarwa.
The minister strongly preached against lack of commitment by teachers and learners, teachers’ involvement in money-making activities during school hours and alcohol abuse by teachers and learners.
Hanse-Himarwa thus advised teachers to embody good practices that will advance teaching and learning. “As teachers we must plan properly and prepare to get the best out of our learners. Teaching should not be merely a 7-1 job, we must spend time with our learners after normal teaching hours. In so doing, the results that we aim to achieve can be achieved,” she said.
She further urged teachers to engage parents and communities in education, adding that a tripartite process between teachers, learners and parents, is very important in education as the absence of one of three legs of education would lead to unsuccessful effort by the involved parties.
Hanse-Himarwa further said her office is well aware of the lack or shortage of resources in the ministry such as adequate classrooms, teachers’ accommodation, and ablution facilities, among others. But she added that irrespective of the limited resources, “the nation is looking up to us to deliver with speed for the prosperity of all Namibians. Time for service delivery is upon us; time for addressing the plight of vulnerable Namibians is upon us; we cannot delay any further,” she said.
She said her ministry is hard at work addressing these challenges.
by Helvy Shaanika