Sex between teachers and pupils is inexcusable, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) said on Tuesday.
There could be no excuse for ”inappropriate behaviour” between teachers on school premises, said Sadtu general secretary Thulas Nxesi.
Equally unacceptable are the exploitative and predatory activities of some male teachers towards female pupils.
”The union condemns such occurrences in the strongest terms,” he said.
Sadtu was expressing its concern at the findings of the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) public hearings on the right to basic education.
”During the public hearing, a learner painted a picture of teachers indulging in sexual relationships with other teachers during school time and on school property,” the SAHRC report noted.
”Of greater concern were the accounts of teachers taking advantage of their positions of authority and coercing sex from girls.”
In one instance, a pupil who arrived late for school had to have sex with a teacher before she was allowed on to the locked school premises.
On another occasion, teachers gave female scholars food in exchange for sex.
”To put it starkly, getting young people to school is important, but doesn’t make sense if the young women who get there are then raped,” the Anti-Privatisation Forum told the hearings.
Sadtu was committed to rooting out these abuses, said Nxesi.
”We cannot stand by whilst the good work of the majority of educators is called into question by the appalling behaviour of a small minority.”
The union will discipline any of its members found to have behaved inappropriately, he said.
It is also training its members to identify and expose misconduct and abuse.
Offenders could face disciplinary action, leading to possible dismissal and banning from teaching, or prosecution resulting in imprisonment.
The SAHRC has recommended inter-departmental programmes at local levels to help ensure schools are places where children’s safety is guaranteed.
”More proactive policies and measures need to be developed to create environments in which children are secure in coming forward to speak out about the violence which they are experiencing in schools,” it suggested.
The commission went on to urge dialogue on the curriculum’s use to promote a culture of human rights in which there was respect for the dignity of others. — Sapa