NEWS
Sadtu unhappy with plan to name and shame sex offender teachers
April 16 2009



Teachers' union Sadtu has expressed concern over the South African Council of Educators' (SACE) announcement to post names of serial sex offender teachers on their website.

The union says it's unhappy about the decision because it is a violation of teachers' rights to dignity and is aimed at destroying their careers. Sadtu regional secretary Ronald Nyathi says even those who have killed many people are not put on the internet for their names to be seen. He says there are certain punitive measures that you take to deal with such an educator. He added that removing the educator from the roll and also dismissing an educator from the system was enough punishment.

Yesterday, the SACE revealed details of its plans to 'name and shame' teachers who are serial sex offenders. The Council says there are teachers who have succeeded in returning to the profession, despite been struck off the roll for sexually abusing schoolchildren.

Council Chief Executive Rej Brijaj said they are going to make these lists available to all schools, to all governing bodies, to all employers so that they can double-check to see if the teachers are of good standing, and they could easily phone the Council to get that information or they could check the website and put in the relevant details, and that information will be available. "We are not publishing these names as in splashing them in the newspapers and disgracing these teachers," Brijaj said.

Sadtu has also urged the incoming administration to review transformation in education. The education system has undergone drastic changes when tertiary institutions were merged, school curriculums changed, teacher colleges closed and FET Colleges strengthened. Sadtu president Thobile Ntola says there is a need to review the system to ensure that transformation reaches its objectives.






 

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