Free State education faces backlash over 649 teachers with criminal records

It is still not clear when the Free State department of education will address the issue of 649 teachers who have criminal records but continue teaching.

Responding to questions in the provincial legislature last week, Free State education MEC Julia Maboya conceded that the teachers with criminal records were still employed by the department. Maboya failed to give a timeline as to when the department will get rid of them.

TPN Credit Bureau statistics show that in 2023 about 3.6% of the 447,123 department of education employees in South Africa, had criminal records.

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This included teachers, coaches and administrative personnel who had criminal convictions, while some were awaiting trial for serious offences such as murder, rape, theft and assault.

In an interview with The Citizen yesterday Free State departmental spokesperson Haward Ndaba said he was unable to give a definitive answer: “We are still busy with the vetting process to get a full picture before a comprehensive response can be effected.”

Ndaba said he was not sure when the vetting process would be completed.

Criminal records a ‘serious concern’

Dulandi Leech, DA spokesperson on education in the Free State legislature, said the party was concerned as it was placing the lives of pupils and innocent teachers in danger.

“This ongoing issue is a serious concern for the safety and wellbeing of both children and honest educators. We are alarmed that the Free State education system is allowing educators with criminal records to remain in schools while our dedicated educators and officials suffer. The safety of children and staff should be the department’s highest priority.

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“We call on the department to expedite the removal of these individuals from the payroll and take swift action to ensure that the classrooms remain safe and secure for both learners and educators,” Leech said.

Sadtu ‘worried’

South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) national spokesperson Nomusa Cembi said it was also worried about the situation because schools were supposed to be safe havens for children.

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“It is therefore very much concerning to see educators with criminal records however criminal record does not necessarily disqualify one from teaching. I would require more information about the nature of these criminal records. For example, one gets a criminal record for culpable homicide emanating from a car accident,” Cembi said.

“Cases involving committing any act of sexual assault of a learner or other employee, having a sexual relationship with a learner or serious assault with an intention to cause harm to a learner are dismissible offences.

“We hope the criminal records of these 649 educators do not involve these cases I have mentioned, because if they do, those educators should not be in the school and the department of education should answer for putting the lives of learners in danger by continuing to keep teachers in school who have been found guilty of committing these acts.”

Cembi said since 2019, schools have been required to do background checks on not only prospective teachers but support staff to ensure they are not listed on the National Register of Sexual Offenders.

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She said Sadtu always advocated for the safety of pupils, teachers and education support personnel in schools.

“We have always supported policies and legislation that ensures there is safety in schools. We were among the first to call for the vetting of teachers and the removal from the roll of teachers who sexually violate learners.”