Teachers pass learners in exchange for sex
A sizeable number of teachers in South African schools were fired from the teaching fraternity after they allegedly promoted female learners to next grades in exchange for sex.
LIMPOPO – According to the South African Council of Educators (Sace), between 2014/ 2015, KwaZulu-Natal topped the list with 22 cases of sexual related offenses such as rape, sexual assault and harassment.
Gauteng comes second with 22 cases, the Western Cape had 11 cases, Free State 10, Mpumalanga nine, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo six each and the North West five.
Sace recently said some of the offenders were school principals, deputy school principals and teachers. Between 2012 and 2013, the council saw an alarming rate of sexual related cases. The council told CV newspaper that alarming cases of sexual related offences increased drastically in 2012/ 2013 financial year. “From April 2010 to March 2011, there 126 cases of sexual harassment reported. A financial year later, between 2012 and 2013, a total of 556 cases were reported. “In the same year, 27 teachers were struck off the roll while 180 cases were still in courts pending verdicts while the remaining cases were still been investigated,” said Sace national spokesperson Temba Ndlovu recently.
Through its spokesperson, the Limpopo Department of Education said that between 2015 and 2016, one teacher was dismissed and six others suspended for sexually molesting female pupils they taught.
A teacher at Phusela High School in Lenyenye outside Tzaneen, was dismissed after investigations revealed that he molested a 17-year-old girl outside the school premises.
During the investigation, the same teacher was among the two who allegedly had sexual relationship with six other pupils in gr 11.
The teachers allegedly promised the pupils a pass at the end of the year before he had sex with them, CV has learnt.
The Principal, Bernard Letsoalo said since the two teachers were released, the culture of learning has been restored at the school.
The incidents took place barely four years after another teacher from Mopje Secondary School near Relela impregnated a learner and fathered two children with her. The teacher was subsequently dismissed by the department and the learner left to live on social grants. The Commission for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Community was equally disgusted by the allegations of sexual misconduct involving teachers.
Commissioner Julia Mabale came out guns blazing saying teachers were supposed to be second parents of learners in schools.
“They are entrusted to educate, raise and mature our children for a better tomorrow,” she said.
Mabale further said children must be promoted to the next grades based on merits and not because they must undress their way up to the top.
