Schools must be safe havens, not hunting grounds

THE portfolio committee on basic education has finally said what should have been declared long ago: paedophiles must be weeded out of our schools.

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Following a briefing by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) and the South African Council for Educators (Sace), the committee made it clear that half-measures would no longer suffice.

Between 2018/19 and 2024/25, the ELRC recorded 469 cases of sexual misconduct involving teachers. Between 2021/22 and 2025/26, 176 teachers were found guilty.

For too long, the protection of children has been undermined by loopholes, weak vetting of teachers, and a culture of silence. Sexual misconduct and harassment in schools are not abstract policy issues; they are violations that scar young lives and erode trust in the very institutions meant to nurture them.