Protect pupils from sex pests

It is horrifying that, according to Democratic Alliance Gauteng shadow MEC for education Khume Ramulifho, the Gauteng department of education has spent more R10 million on teachers placed on precautionary suspension over sexual misconduct. In total, over the past five years, 173 teachers have had sexual allegations levelled against them. According to Ramulifho, though, what is even more worrying than the sheer numbers of alleged sexual predators lurking in our classrooms is that, in many cases, there seems to be little or no consequences for this misconduct.

Ramulifho quoted from a written reply to questions put to Gauteng MEC of education Matome Chiloane, which revealed that 86 teachers against whom sexual misconduct allegations had been levelled were still employed by the department.

In some cases, teachers were found not guilty by internal processes but in others, where guilt was established, the teachers were merely dismissed.

Ramulifho claimed that the department’s attitude is that sexual misconduct must be reported to the police by the victims and that this is not the department’s responsibility.

That is the most worrying aspect of all. Not only are sexual beasts working in our classrooms but when they get caught, they are let off with a mere administrative slap on the wrist, rather than being sent to jail.

Even worse, the department does not keep records of those teachers who have been criminally prosecuted for such offences. Thus, there is no way of knowing whether an offender might be re-employed.

There have been multiple reports about the high number of pregnancies among schoolgirls across the country, many of them under the age of consent, which is 16.

What this amounts to is statutory rape. But, let’s not fool ourselves, this is still rape.

The educational system owes our children a duty of care and should protect them against these most heinous of jackals.