Probe begins in to teacher’s sex boasts on Facebook

THE Eastern Cape Education Department’s Superintendent General, Themba Kojana, expressed disgust last week at the utterances that went viral on social media attributed to a Grahamstown teacher, gloating about “nailing” Grade 11 pupils in his school.

In a statement last week the department said it was embarrassed by “this act of abdicating moral responsibility, instead opting to engage in sexual relationship with pupils who look upon educators in loco parentis rather than sexual partners”. The school was not named. The department has liaised with the relevant district director to attend to the matter as it amounts to serious misconduct according to law.

“I condemn in the strongest terms this predatory conduct by this educator as it embarrasses and taints the teaching profession,” Kojana said.

“As such I have instituted an immediate investigation on the said allegations. Our intervention on this matter is based on his social media comments, specifically his Facebook page. I’ve also asked our legal section to investigate the legal ramifications of his conduct as a civil servant.”

The department’s immediate response will be based on the preliminary reports provided by the Labour Relations directorate. This investigation will be guided by the Employment of Educator’s Act of 1998. Section 17 of the act deals with serious act of misconduct and violations and sexual relations.

“I want to send a stern warning to all those educators who see sexual partners in our pupils as this will lead to them losing their jobs. We are working with the South African Council for Educators (Sace) to ensure that all those found guilty of these offences are deregistered as educators and never work with children in South Africa again,” Kojana said.