Teachers’ personal information leaked
THE PERSONAL details of teachers who applied to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education for a concession because they were deemed vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic due to age and comorbidities have been leaked on social media.
Teacher unions are now threatening to take legal action against the department.
The leaked information includes the circuit teachers report to, their employee numbers, identity numbers, salary grades, ages and the type of concession granted.
The report describes how each of the teachers whose applications had been given the nod would be accommodated. It specifies who would be allowed to work remotely and whose interaction with pupils would have to be curtailed.
It also details the names of teachers who have to stay home under 100% isolation.
Yesterday, the department said it would launch an urgent investigation into the leak, which had violated the rights of its employees. The leaked report titled “Report on co-morbidities approved” contains the names and details of hundreds of teachers.
About 6 000 teachers across the province applied for the concession not to attend school, but it was unclear how many were approved.
Last week, schools in the Phoenix area complained that two weeks after all grades resumed classes, they still had not received substitute or additional teachers.
The leaked list details personal information of teachers who applied and were approved in the Pinetown district. It also gives the circuit the teachers belonged to, their surnames and initials, their ID numbers, specifies their age and personal numbers and the salary grades as well as the titles.
Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said officials became aware of the issue when they received a notice from a union that stated that it intended to sue the department over the leak. “As the department, we have instructed our internal risk control and IT to investigate how this information got out of the department. Based on the findings of the investigation we will take action accordingly.” |