The Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) revealed that it has registered 32 reports of sexual harassment involving teachers at public schools from 1 January to 30 September.
This information emerged following an appeal from the Governing Body Foundation (GBF), a non-profit organisation, for increased action concerning sexual grooming incidents at educational institutions.
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As per Cape Argus, GBF spokesperson Anthea Cereseto emphasised that there is a pressing need to focus on sexual grooming, as it poses a considerable risk to students.
‘We want to raise awareness of and encourage proactive measures to protect children and teenagers. There is a need for a multifaceted approach to tackle sexual grooming effectively. This approach involves not only parents, educators and institutions, but also the entire community,’ she commented.
Sexual grooming is the exploitation of minors by adults in positions of authority for sexual purposes. The WCED describes these incidents as ‘sexual harassment’ or assault.
Out of the 32 reported cases, 18 are currently under investigation, whereas 14 were dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
Bronagh Hammond, a spokesperson for the WCED, detailed that ‘twelve cases of sexual assault were reported, seven of which are pending. One has been recommended for dismissal and four were closed due to having no grounds or evidence to pursue further.’
She added that every case the department receives activates its ‘Abuse No More’ procedures, which notify necessary parties such as the Department of Social Development and the police, especially in cases involving minors.
The ‘Abuse No More’ initiative is aimed at providing institutions, staff and students with guidelines on addressing sexual abuse incidents. It stipulates the proper procedures for reporting and providing support in cases involving child abuse, deliberate neglect and sexual offences, applicable to all public schools in the Western Cape Education Department.
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Concerning the hiring process for teachers at public schools, Hammond stated that they must adhere to the SACE Code of Professional Ethics and are subject to disciplinary action for any violations.
‘The Employment of Educators Act allows the Department to take action against any staff member who engages in abusive behaviour. The department also seriously vets all its new employees. This includes teachers and support staff,’ she said.
‘Any person seeking employment within the WCED is required to be fingerprinted. This allows us to conduct a background check using the services of an external service provider. The agency is well-established and has direct access to police and court records. We also check the government’s employee records system, Persal, to establish whether a potential employee who worked previously for the government was ever convicted of an offence, including sexual offences. Then we check whether teachers are registered with the South African Council of Educators (SACE),’ she added.
Furthermore, the WCED has modified its curricula over the years to include lessons on gender-based violence (GBV).
‘For example, in the curriculum from Grade 4 to 12, we cover GBV so that we can educate learners from an early age that abuse is unacceptable. We have also partnered with Google to develop the Online Safety Curriculum, which is deemed crucial as learners are spending much of their time on the internet and social media. In some cases, social media is the gateway to GBV,’ said Hammond.
The WCED also maintains a toll-free Safe Schools Hotline at 0800 45 46 47 for immediate reporting of any abuse incidents, making it the only province to offer such a service, Hammond concluded.
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