The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture has issued a statement to clarify the circumstances involving the dismissal of Petrus Ndeulita from the Hashiyana Primary School in the Oshana Region.

Ndeulita is said to have allegedly punished a learner at the school by making him lift up a chair for an hour. 

Executive Director Sanet Steenkamp says that Ndeulita, like all teachers employed by the ministry, took an oath against the use of corporal punishment upon his appointment on 02 April 2019.

The oath is in accordance with the Education Act (Act 16 of 2001), Section 56(1), which states: “A teacher or any other person employed at a state school or hostel, or private school or hostel, commits misconduct if such teacher or person, in the performance of his or her official duties, imposes or administers corporal punishment upon a learner, or causes corporal punishment to be imposed or administered upon a learner.”

According to Steenkamp, Ndeulita was given a chance to state his case, during which he "portrayed unbecoming and unruly behaviour in that he refused to acknowledge the charge sheet. This is viewed as undermining authority, especially considering his knowledge and awareness of the fact that administering corporal punishment is a chargeable offence."

Other factors that led to his dismissal were that his personal record revealed a history of 14 similar reported cases, indicating a habitual pattern of behaviour.

Having considered these facts, the ministry, Steenkamp says, is adamant that "the matter concerning Mr. Ndeulita was carefully and procedurally addressed and that the due process of all enabling legislation was followed," adding that "should Mr. Ndeulita be of the view that he was unfairly dismissed, he has the liberty to seek further redress of the matter through any competent Court of Law."