MBOMBELA – Teachers are accused of dating learners in various schools of the province.
Five such cases have been reported to the Department of Education from 2014 to 2015.
The teachers got more than what they had bargained for when pupils lambasted them for making them their mistresses instead of teaching them. This happened during a meeting on June 10 with the MEC for education, Ms Reginah Mhaule, teachers and the representatives council of learners (RCL) at John Mdluli Primary School.
A pupil from Shayaza High School in Bohlabela district called on the education department to take action against teachers who slept with pupils.
“Instead of teaching us, teachers are making us their mistresses. What is the department doing about who sleep with learners?” she asked.
Winnie Ginindza of Mbuyane Secondary High questioned what the department was doing about issues of teenage pregnancy in schools.
Through investigations, Mpumalanga News has since learnt that schools around Barberton, Nkomazi, Mbombela and Bohlabela are not an exception concerning this issue.
“In some areas this is a norm and nobody reports it. In other areas other pupils may report it, but the blessees (victims) in most cases literally deny any relationships between them and the teachers, which makes it difficult for any action to be taken in that scenario,” explained a local teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity. Mpumalanga News also learnt that the teachers in most cases acted kindly towards the pupils. They bought them school uniforms and even food in cases where they came from poor houses.
“Families keep this a secret and there is nothing much we can do about it,” he added.
Mr Jasper Zwane, spokesperson for education, said teachers accused of having affairs with pupils had been charged with misconduct, although there were no reported cases of teachers accused of impregnating pupils in the past two years.
“The department made a commitment to follow up on all issues which were raised by the pupils, including the one in question. The department further takes this opportunity to encourage pupils and parents to report incidents of abuse of children in schools to the department and to the police without fear,” said Zwane.
