9 sexual offenders working as teachers in Gauteng
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has revealed that nine out of twelve teachers with criminal records for sexual offences remain employed in schools despite the presence of a vetting process.
Seven teachers work in primary schools, while five are assigned to special schools.
He made these disclosures in response to questions from the Democratic Alliance in the Gauteng provincial legislature.
The MEC also confirmed that, over the past three years, 40 teachers have been convicted in court for sexual offences, with one still employed by the department and having received a final written warning.
The DA has called for the immediate dismissal of these teachers.
“It is no surprise that sexual offenders target the most vulnerable in our society – young learners and those with special needs,” DA Gauteng Education spokesperson Michael Waters commented.
Waters vowed to write to the Portfolio Committee chairperson on Education in the Gauteng legislature, requesting that the department be called before the committee to explain itself.
"It is reprehensible that 10 sexual predators are roaming school grounds stalking their next victims and that the department allows this. Learners, parents and other teachers deserve better," he said.
Equal Education, an education advocacy group, urged the department to act swiftly in addressing cases involving sexual offences by teachers.
Ayanda Sishi Wigzell, speaking on behalf of the group, said there is a need for more stringent vetting processes, warning that such vital safeguards should not be compromised in the name of cost-cutting.
“There needs to be someone making sure that every individual entering the public school system is properly vetted. We also need a robust system in place to ensure that criminal records are checked. But as it stands, how is this happening in a government dealing with disparities, which leads to cost-cutting and ultimately puts children’s lives in danger?” Sishi Wigzell said.
She also expressed concern about the norms and standards at many special schools, stating that they often leave pupils vulnerable to abuse.
She called for urgent reform to protect students, urging the Department of Education to set deadlines for improving existing schools and building more, especially for disabled children.
“The schools that are in place are not safe for them to learn because there are predictors that are in place, we have norms and standards that are not met, which is why it is incredibly important that the Department of Education put deadlines in place to that these schools are fixed and build even more schools, especially for those who are disabled.”
This comes amid a troubling rise in sexual assault cases involving school-age children, sparking outrage on social media and protests demanding justice for victims.
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