Rape accusations against high school teachers who sexually abuse their students have rocked the Eastern Cape education department.
This comes after a former student of JS Skenjana in the province’s Dutywa spoke out against the mistreatment of students by male teachers in a video that went viral.
She claimed that the school has had a rape culture for years and that the department is aware of it but has done nothing about it.
The department has since taken a strong stance against the growing claims of student abuse, sexual harassment, and victimisation by teachers in certain high schools in the province.
Unprofessional misconduct
Fundile Gade, the MEC for Education, has denounced these actions as nefarious, immoral, and unprofessional misconduct that infringes upon children’s constitutional rights to education, life, and dignity.
To guarantee in-depth investigations and prompt action, the department responded by stating that it has started looking into these cases in conjunction with various parties, including the South African Police Service.
To combat these horrible crimes, Gade urged parents and communities to band together.
“We call upon our school principals, educators, and their unions, together with school governing bodies, to do everything humanly possible to protect children and expose teachers who abuse and victimise learners.
“We must report any such actions to the nearest departmental office and the police. As the department, we will always support all our learners facing this ordeal,” Gade stated.
Need for justice for victims
He further urged the judiciary to prioritise cases involving learners’ abuse, stressing the need for swift resolutions to deliver justice for victims.
“Fast resolution of these cases, whether internally or by the police, is the best way to ensure the victim receives justice.
“The provincial department of basic education, department of safety, department of health, and department of justice must address any potential legal loopholes in the governance system to ensure justice for victims in these cases, especially considering the criminal aspects that extend beyond the internal disciplinary processes of the department of education.
“The past experiences must serve as a testimony on this question, and arrests be made, not just expulsions from work,” Gade added.
Gade encouraged anyone with information about such incidents to come forward and report to the authorities.
