Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has called for an urgent review of legislation into the scourge of sexual misconduct at schools across the country.
The plea follows a briefing by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) and the South African Council for Educators (SACE), on matters relating to sexual harassment cases involving learners and educators.
Among others, the committee was informed about the 469 cases of sexual misconduct of teachers that were recorded between the 2018/19 and 2024/25 financial years.
“Of the 211 awards issued between 2021/22 and 2025/26, 176 educators were found guilty and 35 not guilty.
The guilty findings were reported to the Department of Social Development and SACE for further processing,” the committee heard.
Concerns regarding the reappearance of the perpetrators at other schools were also raised and the committee strongly recommended that such teachers must be permanently barred from the sector.
A clarion call was made to all stakeholders to develop and implement a strong response to all forms of exploitation and abuse against learners.
The committee vowed to engage other partners including law enforcement agencies, to intervene in situations where parents or victims withdraw cases due to intimidation or bribery.
It furthermore committed to strengthen its oversight and engage SACE and the ELRC further on existing gaps in the legislature.
The committee is adamant that this will ensure the children’s welfare and strengthen safety and security at schools across the country.
