Hertta-Maria Amutenja
Duneside Private High School in Walvis Bay is under scrutiny after learners attended a lecture on organ donation awareness without parental consent.
The matter has sparked concerns from parents and community leaders over the handling of sensitive topics involving minors.
The incident involved a lecture by international organ donation advocate Anil Srivatsa, hosted by the Walvis Bay Rotary Club at the Protea Indongo Hotel.
However, parents were not informed beforehand, and no consent was sought for the students to attend.
“I was shocked when I found out about the event through social media. It was disappointing to learn that parents weren’t informed beforehand. It’s unethical. As parents, we should be the first to know if our children are involved in something as sensitive as that,” said a parent, who requested anonymity for fear that her child will be victimised.
She added that she fears that children might be coerced into donating their organs.
“We see these things in many countries where vulnerable and impoverished people are targeted for organ donations. I don’t want my child to consider such an action should the child find herself in a needy situation,” said the parent.
Community activist Knowledge Ipinge said the incident highlights the need for schools to consult parents before exposing learners to content that may require parental guidance.
“An issue like that is a very sensitive matter and calls for parental consent. Because for someone to be speaking to kids about it and not taking it up with parents is really unethical. The first point of contact should be the parents because these are under-18s who are under their parents’ care. At all times, consent is required, even if it’s related to school activities like travelling somewhere,” said Ipinge.
He also pointed out that schools have a responsibility to ensure that any external speaker or activity involving students adheres to guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, which includes obtaining parental consent.
“Schools have an obligation to seek consent from the parents. There is also a directive from the Ministry of Education that states that any guest speaker or anyone doing such talks must have certain consent in that regard,” he said.
Adding to the concern, Gibson Romeo Goseb, a former local authority councillor at the Municipality of Walvis Bay, cited Article 15 of the Namibian Constitution, which protects children against exploitation.
“I hold firm to my convictions that any form of a donation of an organ or body part of a child should be outlawed even if consent is given by parents,” he said.
Goseb said the lecture has raised alarm and called for a deeper investigation.
“We need to delve deeper into this worrisome news that children are being targeted to donate kidneys. I suspect that there might be an unscrupulous criminal cabal behind all of this. Law enforcement must be alerted immediately,” he said.
The Child Care and Protection Act and the Basic Education Act state the importance of parental consent for children’s well-being, including medical interventions and certain school-related matters.
“A principal must obtain written consent from the parent of a learner who needs to undertake a school activity. A principal may not request a parent to sign an indemnity form that indemnifies the school against any legal action that may arise as a result of a school activity,” reads the Act.
Srivatsa, who was on a mission to raise awareness about organ donation, addressed students at three local high schools, including Duneside School.
The lecture, which aimed to educate and inspire the younger generation, focused on the theme of love as the driving force behind organ donation.
The lecture, which marked the fourth in a series of engagements Srivatsa conducted during his visit to Walvis Bay, emphasised the importance of organ donation and the profound impact such an act can have on saving lives.
Efforts to reach Duneside School for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
