Almost 100 teachers from the Eastern Cape were reported to their regulatory board for misconduct, including sexual assault of pupils and corporal punishment in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years. Of the reported cases, sexual assaults accounted for the most. This is according to the annual reports of the SA Council for Educators (SACE) for the last two financial years.
In the period of 2023/2024, 42 cases were reported while in the 2024/25 period, 32 cases were reported either by schools, parents or other concerned parties. In the same periods, the country reported 606 cases. SACE spokesperson Risuna Nkuna said the body had no jurisdiction over the employment of educators, but they conducted regular workshops to capacitate educators on the code of professional ethics.
“Even one case is one too many…Sexual assault against pupils represents one of the gravest breaches of trust imaginable.” These patterns underscore the urgent need for professional development in positive discipline, particularly among educators who continue to apply corporal punishment. The organisation said statistics had shown that more male than female educators were alleged to have breached the code of ethics. “Furthermore, with the rise of offences against women and children in society at large, the council has put concerted efforts into ensuring that offences targeting these vulnerable groups are prioritised, while also encouraging male educators to always act or behave professionally,” it said.
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Children’s rights activist Petros Majola said the figure was just a glimpse based on reported cases, adding there were cases that went unreported. “I will always suggest that, when teachers are in training or at the academic institutions across the country, they should undergo certain programmes that are aimed at empowering them with understanding of the law,” Majola said.
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