Teachers need to ensure that their colleagues behave professionally, a teachers’ union said on Wednesday.
”Colleagues have the responsibility to ensure that abusive practices are reported, stopped and dealt with by the due processes that are provided for in the system,” said Dave Balt, president of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, in a statement.
”Teachers (and learners) who are perpetrators of such crimes must be removed from the system.”
He was reacting to a South African Human Rights Commission report according to which violence and abuse, including sexual abuse, is widespread in schools.
”There can never be extenuating circumstances for such criminal behaviour,” said Balt.
”If the rest of 2006 can be declared the year in which abuses in schools will be eliminated, then as a society we will have achieved much,” he said.
Balt added that while the report is not clear on the frequency of some of the allegations, the fact that these incidents happen at all in schools is totally unacceptable.
”Those [teachers] who abuse their positions must not be tolerated by their colleagues,” Balt said.
He added that while departmental policies and intentions are ”generally very good”, implementing such policies is sometimes problematic.
Balt also suggested that the present high drop-out rates might be linked to harassment and abuse in schools.
”Compulsory attendance at school becomes a nightmare for those who have suffered abuse,” he said. — Sapa