The Parents for Equal Education has called for a National Sexual Offenders Register for teachers and that it should be made public, as paedophilia continues in classrooms across the country.
The South African Educators Council (SACE) revealed that of the teachers registered between 2021/2022, 59 had criminal offences on their records, while 191 had been reported for incidents of sexual misconduct, rape or sexual assault.
A total of 248 teachers were reported for assault and corporal punishment, while 127 for verbal abuse and harassment and 10 for racism, according to a SACE report.
It said 24 teachers were investigated for theft or shoplifting, seven for negligent driving, eight for drinking and driving, two for fraud and eight for drug possession and two for public indecency.
Risuna Nkuna of SACE referred Weekend Argus to their annual report.
“This is also a worrying trend. In the fourth quarter, January to March 2022, Council received a total of 170 new complaints. The highest form of misconduct registered against educators was assault of learners, followed by sexual abuse, and assault of colleagues remained a problem even in this quarter,” read the report.
The Legal Resource Centre’s Charlene Kreuser said they welcomed an investigation into an alleged ring of predatory school teachers and other staff at elite schools across the country.
“The investigation comes in the wake of the podcast ‘My Only Story’ identifying a number of sports coaches who groom and abuse pupils at elite schools.
“Educator and other school staff sexual misconduct have wide-ranging consequences for learners’ physical and psychological well-being, school performance and attendance.
“Schools are meant to be places of safety for learners. Instead, they have become one of the places where learners are most vulnerable to abuse. The sexual abuse of pupils goes far beyond sports coaches at elite schools; it happens in school across the board and in all provinces.
“Pupils often do not feel safe to report sexual abuse by staff members due to fear of not being believed or as a result of thinking that the perpetrator will not be punished,” she said.
Department of Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said they were calling on police to extend the long arm of the law on teachers who were abusing their roles.
“The DBE welcomes the investigation by the SAPS because that is the most appropriate authority to handle criminal matters. It is disappointing that some of the individuals employed to support the growth and development of children are themselves subject to police investigation for possible abuse of their powers.
“The police must do a thorough investigation and get evidence that will ensure that the perpetrators are sent to jail for a long time,” he said.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said they dismissed teachers this year and had 16 cases of sexual assault and harassment involving staff.
“There were eight cases of sexual harassment and eight for sexual assault involving WCED educators or officials.
“Six were dismissed, five were deemed dismissals, two found not guilty, one received a final Written Warning and fine of one month’s salary and counselling, another was demoted and a final written warning and a fine wholly suspended for 12 months, and another received a final written warning and a suspension without remuneration and counselling,” she said.
Hammond added that there were processes to follow where educators had to undergo a vetting process where their fingerprints are checked to see if they have a criminal record.
She stated they were worried that members of School Governing Bodies (SGB) do not undergo the same process.
“There is, however, concern regarding the appointment of SGB educators in schools. Persons employed by School Governing Bodies, either permanently or on contract, should also be subjected to the same rigorous checks as those employed by the WCED,” she said.
Lebogang Montjane, executive director of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (Isasa) called for schools to cooperate during investigations.
“Isasa is aware of the My Only Story and the investigation launched by SAPS into an alleged ring of predatory staff members. Schools should also follow their own internal disciplinary processes if a staff member is suspected of any misconduct related to school children,” Montjane said.
Vanessa le Roux, founder of Parents for Equal Education called for a public national sexual offenders register of teachers and staff.
“In many cases, schools place the names of the school above the safety and sanity of these children.
“I would welcome a deeper investigation and it should not be kept quiet.
“Teaching staff and sports coaches are in a position of authority and they trust them, there should be a register for types of educators, so they will not be able to work with our children again and it must be made public because they are destroying the lives of our children,” she said.
National Police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said, "SAPS has a protocol in place together with the DBE where we have school safety programmes.
"The protocol directs that each school establishes a school safety committee which consists of teachers, learners, SGB, and other stakeholders. We work together with the school safety committees continuously.
She added that, through the protocol, SAPS conducts school engagements to address various issues, with a view of investigating the matter, arresting perpetrators and ensuring justice prevails.