WALVIS BAY-based lawyer Richard Metcalfe has threatened to take legal action against Namib High School at Swakopmund should the school continue its Grade 8 initiation rituals.
The warning comes after a pupil Uhainia Droskie and other Grade 8 pupils were allegedly treated inhumanly and degraded by other pupils on 11 January, under the guise of orientation.
As part of the initiation process, the pupils are allegedly forced to wear their clothes inside out, wear plastic bags as socks, carry heavy objects and keep their heads bowed at all times, as a show of being subservient minions. Additionally, they are allegedly also expected to provide gifts and food to older pupils at their own cost and at times spend hours in the sun while remaining motionless.
Metcalfe, in a strongly worded letter to the school principal, dated 12 January 2022, said these activities amount to criminal of
offences, which are punishable in the courts.
According to him, the initiation practice that happened at the school caused physical harm, which necessitated medical intervention among some pupils.
“The conduct you permit also lends itself to bullying, which is the scourge of our society among our children and cannot be tolerated any further,” he said.
Metcalfe called on the school to immediately cease these initiation practices, which were expected to be carried out until the end of the month.
The school principal, Roosmarie September, was quoted by the Namib Times, expressing surprise at the letter from Metcalfe and the allegations it contained.
September says the initiation ritual is meant to create a sense of camaraderie among the pupils, and pride in the school’s values and tradition.
“The children are not injured. In fact, they enjoy the process very much,” she said.
According to September, one of the complainants’ children was removed from the initiation process for peace of mind.
Despite the lawyer’s letter, the initiation process is expected to proceed and will culminate in an acceptance concert in front of the rest of the school. Initiation practices in school were banned in 2017 by the Ministry of Education, Art and Culture. In Circular 1/2017 issued by executive director Sanet Steenkamp, the practice was deemed unlawful and not permitted in both public and private schools.
“No person must subject any pupil to mental harassment, physical punishment, or conduct or participate in any form of initiation practice against another pupil,” said Steenkamp.
She advised that orientation programmes should be educational and should be done under the supervision of teachers to guard against any form of abuse and humiliation by other pupils.
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