adminLynnia Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
TWO Form One pupils from Halisupi High School in Gwanda District on Friday endured more than four hours of nudity when a teacher forced them to remove their trousers as punishment for not adhering to the school summer dress code.
The pupils from Zamanyoni Village under Chief Mathe reportedly came to school on Friday last week wearing trousers instead of shorts.
On arrival at the school, the senior teacher, Mr Aleck Ndlovu allegedly ordered them to remove their trousers leaving them with underwear. Sources privy to the details told Sunday News that the pupils reportedly attended lessons wearing their underwear and being made fun of by their colleagues before going home like that.
One of the pupils’ parents, Mr Kynos Mahlangu reported the matter to the police, who are said to have solved the issue with the headmaster.
Realising that the school had no intention of acting on the abuse of his son whose nudity was exposed to the whole school, Mr Mahlangu reported the matter to the ward councillor, Clr Thompson Makhalima.
In an interview Clr Makhalima condemned the act, saying it was both inhumane and unacceptable and urged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to intervene.
“I received the complaint on Tuesday. I am told two pupils were ill-treated at school. We can’t accept such a practice in our area. The teacher should have sent the children back home to wear the proper uniform or even find another punishment, not treating them like that, more so maybe the children had no shorts.
“Some form of disciplinary action really needs to be taken towards the teacher. We call on the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to intervene because our children can’t be exposed to such treatment. The school administration swept the issue under the carpet but in all fairness this is a serious case that has to be dealt with accordingly,” said Clr Makhalima.
He said last year the headmaster, a Mr Nkala expelled nine pupils from school without any explanation and they were only re-admitted after parents intervened.
A member of the School Development Committee (SDC), Mr Kiwet Sibanda also confirmed receiving the report from the headmaster on the senior teacher’s conduct revealing that they were conducting the necessary investigations.
The incident comes hard on the heels of another where a teacher at Ntepe High School, Bhekumuzi Sibanda (26) committed suicide when he learnt that he was wanted by police for an alleged sodomy case.
Online Reporter