Saturday Star writes that the SA Council of Educators (Sace) recorded an increase in the number of corporal punishment cases and cases of sexual abuse of pupils during the 2019/20 financial year.
In Sace’s annual report, CEO Mapula Mokgalane said the financial year under review had been inundated with an increase in cases of professional misconduct by teachers. "The most prominent cases which have raised eyebrows in the community are those pertaining to sexual misconduct and corporal punishment,” Mokgalane advised. The report showed that the council finalised 456 misconduct cases, which included 284 cases reported in 2019/20 and 172 others from previous years. There were a total of 92 cases related to sexual misconduct, rape, indecent assault, sexual assault and sexual harassment, as well as 66 cases involving verbal abuse, victimisation, harassment, defamation and others. "Educators that are found guilty of sexual misconduct are sent to the Department of Social Development to be entered into the register of persons who are unfit to work with children. In 2019/2020, a total of 17 teachers were entered into such a register after council had removed them from the register of fit-to-practise educators," Mokgalane advised. Sace chairman Mabutho Cele said teacher misconduct case management processes would be prioritised in the new financial year after some targets were not met. The council added that it was in the process of appointing and capacitating panellists to process cases.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mayibongwe Maqhina at Saturday Star
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