Maria David
PARENTS of children attending the Northcote Private School (NPS) in the Oniipa are requesting the ministry of labour’s intervention in the alleged unfair labour practices at the school.
This follows after teachers who joined a trade union were dismissed or had their salaries withheld while awaiting disciplinary hearing.
In a document seen by Informanté, the parents demand clarification about the nature of the misconduct allegedly committed by the affected teachers.
Parents fear that the quality of education at Northcote Private School is being compromised after the principal and two teachers were dismissed, while 26 others are awaiting disciplinary hearing.
The document reveals that the NPS board and parents in general were not formally informed about the employee’s alleged misconduct and the resultant disciplinary hearing.
It was recently alleged that 22 teachers at the NPS were not paid their salaries for June. This happened after they joined the Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN).
Some of the teachers indicated that they joined the union between January and April this year and are required to pay monthly membership fees, which the school refuses to deduct from their salaries.
Meanwhile, Robin Masuku, who was the school principal, received his dismissal letter via Whatsapp last month.
“The school board does not know about it, and no hearing took place,” he said.
The parents also want to know whether the structures of the NPS are aligned to those of the Ministry of Education.
In addition, it was revealed that the school board did not partake in the dismissal and disciplinary hearing of the concerned employees, which raises questions as to who made the decisions on behalf of the school board.
