This statement follows a meeting between the DA and the South African Council for Educators. Please find attached a soundbite in English by Shadow Minister of Basic Education, Ian Ollis MP.
Today, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, Ian Ollis MP, and DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Nomsa Marchesi MP, met with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) to discuss concerns around school safety and the vetting of prospective teachers.
Teacher misconduct at schools is detrimental to the safety of learners and, in the last financial year alone, 593 cases were reported to SACE. These cases included 99 allegations of sexual misconduct or rape and 265 of physical assault or corporal punishment. The cost of not vetting teachers is too high as it puts the safety and well-being of children at risk.
The DA will therefore write to Minister Angie Motshekga, calling on her to ensure that there are adequate vetting mechanisms in place. We also launched our letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa calling for collaborative ministerial action to make our schools safe and we encourage members of the public to co-sign it at https://protectourchildren.co.za/
SACE met with the DA today and have admitted that up until now the vetting of teachers has not been working as they struggle with access to the Child Protection Register and Sexual Offences Register, among other things.
Without proper vetting, teachers who may have been accused or convicted of misconduct could easily move to a different province and continue teaching there. We have discovered through our meeting with SACE that SACE has no control over whether teachers in School Governing Body posts are vetted. This loophole needs to be closed.
SACE will be meeting with the Department of Justice regarding the strengthening of vetting processes. They have committed to a follow-up meeting with the DA to address our concerns further
All learners deserve to learn in a safe environment, free from violence and abuse. We call on SACE to prioritise the vetting of all prospective teachers.
This will be a vital step in reducing, and ultimately ending, teacher misconduct. With more resources dedicated to this, our children will be able to prosper and secure better futures for themselves.