Teachers preying on pupils common in South Africa schools
Twenty-seven complaints of sexual misconduct by teachers were received by the Council of Educators between January and October.
In some instances, teacher-pupil relationships took place with the consent of the children’s parents, said the council’s chief executive officer, Rej Brijraj, yesterday.
“ You find there is some arrangement between the teacher and the parents, where some kind of financial agreement has been swung.
“In dire socio-economic conditions … there are some educators who will take advantage of the situation and poor unsuspecting parents might give in, thinking it is a promise of marriage [whereas the teacher is] just exploiting the young children for carnal use.”
Brijraj said that about 80 percent of the cases involved men teachers abusing girls.
But there were cases of women teachers liaising with boys, as well as some same-sex relationships.
He said most of the complaints involved children in or nearing Grade 12.
“It has been very disturbing that there have been cases where students have been minors.”
Children as young as nine had been found to be involved with teachers.
There were also cases of pupils being impregnated by teachers.
“The council finds that completely intolerable. Though girl pupils are abused by other members of society, we definitely have jurisdiction over teachers.
“The age of pupils , their consent, parental consent or their location in a different school will not mitigate the culpability of a teacher in this regard.”
He said that seven of the teachers named in the 27 complaints had been found guilty and were struck from the register of accredited teachers.
The council was investigating the other complaints.
Brijraj said the council would not hesitate to report proved misconduct to the police and publish the name of the teacher involved.
Brijraj said about three complaints of sexual misconduct were received every month.
http://www.teachercrime.com/news.html
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