Pupil attacked over jersey claim
with regards to rape and love relations with pupils reported to Sace in 2016/2017.
Kwazulu-natal ranked as the second highest for these cases, with Mpumalanga being first. There were 18 such cases reported in KZN and 25 in Mpumalanga.
“We are currently compiling our 2017/2018 report and new statistics will be available when this is done,” said Ndhlovu.
The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union’s spokesperson Nomusa Cembi said the organisation condemned teacherpupil relationships and this was strongly reflected in its code of conduct.
“We were one of the first organisations to say that Sace must strike off teachers from their roll if they have committed such acts.
“It is against immoral and just said Cembi. the law, unacceptable,” A SAGA over a missing school jersey at Adams College culminated in a pupil being admitted to hospital with a broken leg this week.
While the college is conducting an inquiry into the incident, a guardian of the injured pupil, a former school principal, said he was upset a formal internal investigation was not being done and that people on its panel looking into the mater did not even know where the incident had happened.
The uncle, who is not being named to protect the identity of the injured pupil, said he had been invited to a meeting at the school on Thursday where five pupils allegedly involved were invited to give their version of the incident.
He said he had objected and asked the proceedings to be stopped as his nephew, still in hospital, was not there to tell his side.
Speaking from a hospital bed earlier in the day, the Grade 10 pupil said he was with a friend in a passage outside class before the start of an exam when a group of five bullies approached him.
He said they accused him of falsely accusing one of them of having stolen his school jersey last month.
He tried to flee, but slipped and fell. The five boys then stomped on him – injuring his leg, abdomen and head. He said the assault continued until he was rescued by two cleaning staff who chased the boys away.
“Had it not been for the cleaners I could have ended up in a far worse situation. They did not stop even when I pleaded with them to leave me alone,” said the injured pupil, whose right foot was covered in bandages. An X-ray revealed a bone fracture and dislocation.
His uncle said while the alleged culprits had not been suspended and continued to write exams as if nothing had happened, no programme had been put in place for his nephew to catch up on exams he had missed.
Kwazulu-natal Department of Education spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said the department was unaware of the incident, but would investigate. “We plead with parents to also lend a hand to eradicate the symptoms of violence at our schools to make them a safe place for children.”
The incident comes in the wake of claims by former Adams College school girls that male teachers had been involved in sexual liaisons with pupils, with several having even fallen pregnant.