NC dept probed 21 cases of pupil abuse
MORE than 20 cases of sexual and physical assault were investigated by the Northern Cape Department of Education last year.
According to a reply from the Minister of Basic Education, the provincial department investigated 11 sexual assault cases and 10 physical assault cases.
Three teachers from Bothithong High School, 80km from Kuruman, were served with precautionary suspension letters in September last year following a preliminary investigation into allegations that 30 pupils had fallen pregnant at the school. The department, however, said it was only aware of 16 cases of pupils falling pregnant.
This follows claims that pupils were apparently paid to engage in unprotected sexual relations with their teachers.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that three educators are allegedly implicated and the department is in the process of placing them on precautionary suspension,” Van der Merwe said at the time.
“We have ruled out allegations relating to the impregnating of pupils due to insufficient evidence provided during our investigation.”
An expert team was sent to the school to investigate the allegations.
The Northern Cape police confirmed at the time that two teachers appeared in the Kuruman Magistrate’s Court, one on a charge of sexual assault and the other on a charge of attempted rape.
Van der Merwe said, following a media enquiry on Friday, that the two implicated teachers had been employed by the Department of Education as temporary educators at the Bothithong High School.
“They were charged with serious misconduct. The school management took a decision not to continue with disciplinary actions against them because their fixedterm contract ended on December 31 2017, as an employer and employee relationship no longer existed.”
Van der Merwe added that the two implicated teachers had meanwhile declared a dispute with the Extended Labour Representative Council (ELRC). “The matter is currently with the ELRC awaiting arbitration.”
In a separate incident, a teacher at the AJ Ferreira Secondary School in Upington was suspended last year following allegations that he was sexually harassing two young girls at the school.
According to parents at the school and members of the school governing body (SGB), the teacher took the girls, who are in Grade 10 and 11, to an isolated classroom where he allegedly fondled their breasts and acted inappropriately with them over a period of about three months.
The teacher also allegedly sent lewd messages and photos to the pupils’ cellphones.
SGB members stated that the teacher had apparently warned the girls not to tell anyone about the alleged incidents.
The teacher appeared in the Upington Magistrate’s Court and was suspended by the Department of Education following a meeting that was convened by the SGB.
Van der Merwe said on Friday that the case involved one, and not two, pupil and the teacher involved was also a temporary educator.
“He was on a fixed-term contract, which expired on December 31 2017, and this was not renewed by the department.
According to Van der Merwe, the parents have registered a criminal case regarding the incident. “The matter is still under investigation by the SAPS.”