The resignation of a teacher from Wilhelm Nortier Primary School while in police custody is not just another tragic headline. It is an indictment of a system that continues to react to sexual abuse in schools rather than prevent it. Once again, Namibia is forced to confront an uncomfortable truth: our children are not as safe in our learning institutions as we claim they are.
The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture has condemned the alleged sexual assault and promised cooperation with law enforcement. These statements, while necessary, are painfully familiar. We have heard them before, after the damage is done, after a child has been violated, after trust has been shattered.
What we have not heard, clearly and convincingly, is how the ministry intends to stop this from happening again.
Sexual assault by teachers against learners is not an isolated incident, nor is it a “bad apple” problem. It is a systemic failure of safeguarding, of oversight, of reporting mechanisms, and of accountability. When abuse allegedly occurs in a school hostel, during a power outage, and over an extended period without intervention, it raises serious questions about supervision, staff vetting, and institutional culture.
Children who endure sexual abuse do not simply “move on”. They carry lifelong scars – psychological, emotional, and social. Trauma follows them into adulthood, affecting education outcomes, mental health, relationships, and trust in authority. To treat these cases as legal processes alone, rather than as national emergencies, is to fail our children twice.
The ministry says psychosocial support is being provided. But the country must ask: do our schools actually have enough qualified counsellors, psychologists, and social workers to deal with sexual trauma? In many schools, particularly in rural areas, there is not a single trained mental health professional on site. Teachers are expected to teach, discipline, counsel, and protect, often without the skills or support required to handle abuse disclosures properly.
Where is the clear, enforceable national policy that outlines:
- Mandatory reporting procedures for sexual misconduct?
- Immediate suspension protocols when allegations arise?
- Regular vetting and lifestyle audits for educators in positions of trust?
- Continuous child-protection training for all school staff?
- Independent reporting channels that learners can safely access without fear of retaliation?
Silence, delays, and internal handling of such matters only empower perpetrators and intimidate victims.
Equally troubling are revelations of unrelated disciplinary cases involving fraud and corruption. They point to deeper governance problems within school management structures. When leadership is compromised, children are placed at even greater risk.
This is not an issue the ministry can resolve behind closed doors. The broader Namibian community, parents, traditional leaders, churches, civil society organisations, psychologists, and child-rights advocates must be actively involved. Protecting children cannot be outsourced to press statements and court proceedings alone.
We call on the Ministry of Education to urgently develop and publish a clear, zero-tolerance national framework on sexual abuse in schools, with timelines, accountability measures, and publicly accessible reporting mechanisms. We call for increased funding for school-based mental health services and partnerships with qualified professionals. And we call for transparency, not after arrests, but before harm occurs.
Our children enter schools to learn, not to survive predators. Until prevention becomes policy and protection becomes practice, every assurance of “safe learning environments” rings hollow.
Namibia must decide: will we continue reacting to shattered lives, or will we finally act to protect them?
