Teachers who impregnate pupils cannot be tolerated

A lot has been said about South Africa’s education system.

Like everything else, some are impressed while others are worried about standards falling.

One impressive thing is that modern pupils have a voice, something that we never had during my time in school.

Unfortunately, some pupils tend to abuse this instead of using that voice wisely.

One thing I am extremely chuffed about is the outing of bad teachers.

Our education system shouldn’t tolerate molesters and teachers who impregnate pupils. Sadly, this thing of inappropriate teacher/pupil relationships is nothing new.

In the past, we could only speculate and whisper about it.

Where and when I was schooled, teachers were highly respected. In the villages where male teachers rented rooms or houses, there were chosen female pupils who did chores reserved for wives.

Some of those girls played that “wife” part so well that community members could only read between the lines as to what was really happening.

Unfortunately, parents whose daughters had these seemingly suspicious relationships with teachers couldn’t take matters up, fearing a community backlash. No one could soil teachers’ reputations. Even then, there were teachers who impregnated pupils, but such scandals were covered up.

Teachers need to be thoroughly screened. We can’t afford to have people who molest children work with them. What is even more heartbreaking is that some of these sorry excuses for teachers do these shameless acts in front of other pupils.

As we all know, young people are impressionable. It goes without saying that some of the victims are mocked and given all sorts of nasty names.

School should be a place that builds young people’s characters. I hope the authorities will work tirelessly in rooting this scourge out of our schools.

Richardson Mzaidume, Pimville