CAPE TOWN - Sexual violence by teachers is still prevalent in schools, the latest South African Council for Educators’s (SACE) annual report has found, with 11 teachers fired after they were found guilty of various charges of misconduct.
Most of the teachers were fired for sexual violence against learners.
In the first quarter, the organisation investigated three cases of sexual violence against learners and in the second quarter this shot up to 25 cases of sexual offences.
Some of the cases teachers faced were sexual harassment of their colleagues as well as learners and also assaulting learners.
In the Western Cape, one teacher was fired for sexual misconduct, and they’ve been deemed unfit to ever work with children again.
Another teacher in the province was suspended for five years and fined R10 000 for alcohol abuse.
“In the year under review the council received 443 cases of misconduct against educators divided between 42 new cases in the first quarter, 106 cases in the second quarter, 40 cases in the third quarter and finally 255 cases were received in the fourth quarter,” the report said.
There were no new cases recorded during the start of the lockdown last year, while in June last year there was a flurry of cases reported, with almost 30 cases.
“As can be seen, the 11 educators removed from the register of practising teachers committed serious offences pertaining to sexual misconduct and several assaults of learners all cases of which have the effect of bringing the teaching profession into disrepute,” the report said.
It said nine of the teachers’ names were sent to the Department of Social Development to indicate they were not fit to work with children.
The release of the report by SACE comes a few weeks after the multiparty women’s caucus in Parliament called for action against those behind impregnating girls as young as 10 years.
This was after it emerged girls between the ages of 10 and 14 were among thousands of girls who fell pregnant in Gauteng.
The report had shown that more than 23 000 girls fell pregnant in Gauteng during the last financial year and the committee said tough action must be taken against those responsible.
The women’s caucus the police should act harshly against the perpetrators because girls as young 10 years did not fall under the category of those who can consent to sex.
It said they need these cases to be expedited and ensure swift arrests of the alleged perpetrators.
Additional reporting by Francesca Villette
Cape Times