Ishaka Nursing School Suspends Senior Staff Over Corporal Punishment

BUSHENYI: Authorities at Ishaka Adventist School of Nursing and Midwifery have come out to apologize to the entire public following an incident in which two students at the school were punished by lashing.

The controvery started at the end of last month when the Deputy Principal of the School, Dr Joab Rutakoba suspended two students who had escaped from school.

However upon return from the suspension, he asked their parents to lash their children so as to deter them from doing the same.

The complainants included one only identified as Rebecca and Atuhaire Katusiime, a first year student.

In a statement addressed to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports, the hospital Senior Administrator, Lydia Komigisha regretted the embarrassment the pictures on the social media have caused to God, the public, students and to the dignity of humanity.

She said that the Adventist School of Nursing and Midwifery does not condone corporal punishment and neither is it institutionalized, adding that the institution has rules and regulations of which lashing is not part.

Lydia Komugisha further said that it was unfortunate that the school rules were not followed by the Deputy Principal Joab Rutakoba and the Clinical Instructor, Isaac Friday who ordered the beating. She said the two have since been suspended pending further investigations.

She also said that psychologists have been identified to offer counselling and guidance to the affected students and where possible subject them to treatment.

One of the victims, Rebecca, whose pictures while receiving punishment went viral on the social media confirmed to SoftPower News that she accepted the corporal punishment for fear of being suspended from school, having slept in the boy’s hostel.

She added that the environment at the girls’ hostel was not conducive for her because she was not feeling okay and decided to sleep in the boys’ hostel which was not occupied at the time.