A total of 109 teachers were sanctioned for misconduct, and 36 were stripped of their licence to teach school children during the 2024/25 financial year.

This is after the South African for Educators (SACE), which handles complaints against teachers, concluded 134 disciplinary hearings during the year under review.

This emerged from the annual report of the SACE tabled in Parliament, which revealed that 606 complaints were received against teachers.

Acting Chairperson and CEO of SACE, Mapula Ella Makgalane, said the watchdog body received 606 complaints of unprofessional ethical behaviour against teachers during the 2024/25 financial year.

This included 379 cases carried over from previous financial years.

Makgalane said 283 cases were for assault – 257 assaults of learners and 26 assaults by colleagues.

“The total number of sexual cases reported was 127, while the remaining 196 cases comprise other forms of unprofessional conduct,” she said.

However, Makgalane said SACE observed a consistent trend in reported cases with a slight increase in incidents involving assault and corporal punishment of learners, sexual abuse of learners, assault of colleagues within the school environment, and other forms of unprofessional conduct.

“These patterns highlight the urgent need for professional development in positive discipline, especially among educators who still use corporal punishment. SACE will intensify efforts to promote behaviour management strategies that align with ethical and developmental best practices.”

According to the report tabled in Parliament, of the 606 complaints, there were 281 cases of assault on learners or corporal punishment, followed by humiliation or use of improper language or victimisation 48, sexual assault of learner 48, sexual harassment of learner 44, racism or discrimination 41, sexual relationship with a learner 35, sexual assault of a colleague 26, and sexual harassment of a colleague 12.

There were nine cases of fraud complaints, eight complaints of financial mismanagement, five for impregnating a learner, three each for proposing love to a learner and an attempt to assault a colleague, two rapes of learners, and one sexual intercourse at a workplace.

The Western Cape led the pack with 211 complaints, followed by Gauteng with 136, KwaZulu-Natal with 71, Limpopo with 47, Free State with 41, Eastern Cape with 32, Mpumalanga with 31, North West with 27, and the Northern Cape with nine.

Makgalane said the Western Cape Province reported the highest number of finalised cases.

“Although attempts were made by the council through stakeholder engagements in efforts to encourage other provincial education departments to submit their finalised disciplinary cases, not all provinces are complying,” she said.

Makgalane also said 99 investigations were finalised on new cases after 134 disciplinary hearings were conducted, resulting in 109 educators sanctioned following due process.

“These outcomes reflect SACE’s commitment to ethical enforcement and its role in safeguarding the dignity and safety of learners and the broader school community.”

She described the number of sanctioned teachers during the year under review as higher in comparison to the 2023/24 financial year, where SACE sanctioned 91 educators.

Makgalane said 36 educators have been removed indefinitely from the register of practicing teachers – the harshest sanction meted out on teachers.

“This implies that such an educator has no reasonable prospect of practising or teaching school children, as they shall have lost their licence to teach.

“Some educators whose names are removed from the register end up with their names being entered into the register of persons declared unfit to work with children,” she said of those who committed serious offences, including sexual misconduct such as rape, impregnating a learner, and sexual relations with learners, fraud cases, and severe assault of learners.

Three educators were removed from the register for a certain period ranging from five to 15 years, while 70 others were suspended for a certain period with different fines and/or reprimands.

“Most fines imposed were for misconduct relating to the assault of learners and other minor offences. It is worth noting that educators who are fined are also directed to attend professional development courses that are aimed at instilling positive discipline.”

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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