WINDHOEK - About 40 learners at the Onampira Combined School in Omusati region have been without classes because of a heated feud between teachers and the school’s principal that arose from a teacher’s transfer.
According to the information provided to New Era by an anonymous source, language teachers at the school have refused to teach grade 7 learners Oshindonga after their allocated class teacher got transferred to another school.
The source who is one of the parents for some of the learners at the school said that due to overstaffing at the school, there will be no replacement of the transferred teacher.
“When management met after midterm break, they decided for the language teachers to take up that subject because they are not overloaded yet as per national policy of 75 percent and 90 percent teaching load of Head of Departments and teachers respectively but they refused.”
Language teachers including the HoD for languages refused to teach Oshindonga and now learners have gone for seven months without lessons.
It is feared tensions at the school will affect its end of year results.
“This school was always performing at the bottom with 40 percent before the current principal and it is now one of the schools currently doing well in terms of academic performance of grade 10 & 12, in the region,” said the source who requested for anonymity.
Parents want the education authority to intervene as a matter of urgency.
The source further said the school authority is now being disregarded and disobeyed by the teachers which they said amounts to insubordination as spelled out in the Public Service Act and Code of Conduct for government teachers. When approached for comment, the acting education director in Omusati, Tylves Kankondi confirmed their office is fully aware of the feuding at Onampira and the subsequent disruption of learning that has ground to a complete halt.
“We are fully aware and we know all those who are involved. We are in the process of taking action towards those who are involved,” said Kankondi. He further noted that their office has launched the investigation in the matters and necessary decisions will be taken.
The school principal refused to comment on the matter saying he is not authorised to speak to the media.