TimesLIVE reports that the SA Council for Educators (Sace) received 606 complaints of unprofessional conduct by teachers over the past year, with assault and sexual misconduct making up most of the cases.
According to Sace’s 2024/2025 annual report, 283 of the cases were assaults – 257 involving pupils and 26 involving colleagues. Another 127 cases involved sexual misconduct, while the remaining 196 cases were for misconduct such as abuse, non-compliance, and unethical behaviour. Corporal punishment is still a problem. In the first quarter, the Sace said assault, particularly on pupils, remains the most reported issue, suggesting that corporal punishment is still taking place in schools, despite it being outlawed. Male teachers made up most of those alleged to have breached the code of professional ethics.
Sace completed 478 investigations into educator misconduct, consisting of 98 new cases and 380 older cases. These investigations were conducted through phone calls, written correspondence or physical investigations. A total of 36 educators were removed from the roll. Despite the 606 new cases received, Sace finalised 612 cases during the year through investigations and disciplinary hearings. These included current and outstanding cases from previous years.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE
- Read too, 36 teachers struck from SACE register for serious offences, including raping pupils, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page