By Gift Sebiloane
Gauteng, South Africa — the recent revelation that nine sexual offenders have been identified working in Gauteng schools has sent shockwaves through the community, raising serious concerns about the safety of children in educational environments.
This shocking discovery, which emerged during a presentation by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to the Provincial Portfolio Committee, highlights critical shortcomings in the vetting process of school employees.
According to the report, the offenders were identified through checks against the National Register for Sexual Offences (NRSO). The register, established in 2007, contains the names of individuals convicted of sexual offenses against children and mentally disabled persons. However, it is deeply troubling that only a small fraction of the 86,367 employees in Gauteng public schools have been vetted against this register.
“This is a deeply concerning situation that requires immediate and decisive action,” says Sarah Jacobs, a concerned parent and member of the school governing body at a primary school in Johannesburg, in an interview with The Star. “We entrust our children to the care of schools, and it is unacceptable that their safety is being compromised.”
This revelation raises several critical questions:
- How many more undetected offenders are working in schools? The limited scope of vetting suggests a disturbing possibility that numerous sexual predators may be interacting with children daily, posing a significant risk to their safety and well-being.
- Why are background checks not mandatory for all school staff? The current situation points to a significant gap in the hiring process, where thorough background checks, including verification of qualifications and criminal records, are not consistently enforced.
- What measures will be taken to address this crisis? The Gauteng Department of Education must take immediate and decisive action to ensure the safety of all learners. This includes expediting the vetting process for all school employees and implementing stricter hiring protocols.
Urgent action needed to protect learners
The findings have sparked outrage and concern among parents, educators, and community members, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) criticising the department for its failure to prioritise the safety of learners.
“The fact that these individuals were able to slip through the cracks is a clear indication that the system is failing our children,” stated DA Shadow MEC for Education, Khume Ramulifho, as quoted by the Sowetan newspaper. “We demand accountability and urgent action to rectify this grave oversight.”
Be alert, listen to the children … and do reference checks
On whether should parents be worried about their children’s safety, given these deeply concerning findings, Governing Body Foundation CEO Anthea Cereseto said in a sitdown with Enca, “indeed they should,” adding: “but I’d go back to say ‘be alert. Keep your eyes and ears open, and listen to the children’.”
Most importantly, Cereseto believes that school communities have a major role to play in ensuring children safety, and so do references. “If a school employs a person, they must find out where they were before, and why did they leave.”
Schools, she further cautioned, have to listen if they hear a rumour and act fast “I had a rumour once, and I reported it to a school principal and I said ‘investigate’. So he did listen to me with a bit of skepticism, and a couple of years later he phoned me and said ‘indeed you were right, I found out who that person was’ … it took a long time, but it made him to be alert.”
Elaborating more on the role of the school governing bodies (SGBs) whenever a case is reported, Cereseto urged them to prioritise investigation and once again, act fast: “They must follow the school’s disciplinary processes … sometimes they don’t, and then the educator leaves without following the disciplinary processes and then there’s no record.”
