Calls To Overhaul Teacher Vetting Mount As 176 Educators Found Guilty Of Sexual Misconduct

South African teacher unions, education stakeholders and political leaders are demanding the immediate removal of teachers listed on the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) and the National Child Protection Register (NCPR). The call follows shocking revelations that 176 teachers have been found guilty of sexual misconduct in recent years.

The Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) told the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education that between the 2021/22 and 2025/26 financial years, dozens of educators were disciplined for sexual offences involving pupils.

Experts warn that the country’s vetting system is dangerously inadequate, with more than 80% of teachers yet to undergo mandatory checks.

Teachers’ Vetting System ‘Failing Children’, Say Unions and Governance Bodies

Thirona Moodley, spokesperson for Naptosa KZN, said irregular and outdated vetting procedures were placing children at risk.

“Teachers who have been found guilty of sexual misconduct through a formal disciplinary enquiry following the prescripts of labour laws, must be dismissed. Teachers are in loco parentis and must conduct themselves in a manner which is professional and always putting the interests of the child first.

“The vetting of teachers is of no use unless it happens regularly. Currently the system is designed for once off vetting only. A further failure in the system is the Department of Education (DoE) taking a long time to investigate and charge teachers.

“These teachers remain in the school for months before being held accountable. The current systems are failing our children,” Moodley said.

Dr Erna De Lange, chief operating officer of the KZN Governing Body Foundation, said the profession must be urgently “cleaned up”.

“We cannot expose children to people who cannot be trusted. If teachers have been found guilty of sexual misconduct, their employment must be terminated and they should never be allowed in the profession again.

“There is an ethical standard that teachers must adhere to, and if they do not meet the criteria, they should not be in classrooms. It is time to clean up the profession.

“School Governing Body (SGB) employees are, in most cases, vetted and must produce police clearance. The same should be the rule for government employees,” she added.

She criticised slow investigation processes within the department.

“The department must address problems as they are reported. Investigations take years. Immediate action would ensure that classrooms are safe places.

“Police clearance must be an annual requirement and I think the police are overwhelmed. There has to be a better way. If we can get a man on the moon, there must be a way to streamline the vetting or clearance system,” De Lange said.

Political Leaders Demand Urgent Overhaul of Vetting Processes

Nazley Sharif, DA spokesperson on basic education, urged all education employers to strengthen vetting measures immediately.

“We need to ensure that no individual listed on the NRSO or the NCPR is appointed to any school environment. The South African Council for Educators (SACE) must also reinforce its internal safeguards to ensure that teachers listed on the NRSO or NCPR are promptly removed from the educators’ register.

“This measure is vital to upholding the integrity of the profession and ensuring that those who are deemed unsuitable to work with children cannot enter or re-enter school environments.

“The ELRC statistics are concerning. This underscores the need for urgent corrective measures. All employers, including provincial education departments, school governing bodies, and owners of independent schools are legally obliged not to appoint, and to immediately remove from service, any person found on these registers,” she said.

IFP councillor Dr Jonathan Annipen described the data as “damning”. “The data is damning. Of around 405 000 public-school teachers, only about 78 500 (roughly 19%) have been vetted against the NRSO as of March 2025. This means over 80% of teachers remain unchecked. This is a gross failure to guarantee the safety of our children.

“The law is clear – employers in the education sector must verify the suitability of any teacher or school-staff member before finalising an appointment.

“They must immediately terminate employment if the individual is listed on NRSO or NCPR. It is absolutely necessary, to demand the removal of anyone already in the classroom who fails that suitability check.

“Moreover, teachers should without exception be required to obtain a police-clearance before employment. While a clearance against NRSO/NCPR is legally mandated, a police clearance adds an important additional layer of scrutiny that can catch other serious criminal convictions or ongoing investigations that may not appear on those registers.

“In the interest of safeguarding teachers, there is no justification for employing teachers — whether newly hired or already in post — without full police and register-based vetting,” he added.

MK Party MP Visvin Reddy said the organisation fully supports the call for immediate dismissals. “Individuals who have been found guilty of offences against children have no place in a classroom, no place near vulnerable learners, and no place in the education sector.

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“We also demand that every teacher undergo a full police clearance check before they are employed, and that this clearance must be renewed periodically. Professions with far less responsibility, including security guards and drivers, undergo strict background checks.

“It is unthinkable that those entrusted with the lives of children are not held to an even higher standard. Schools must be sanctuaries of safety, dignity, and trust. Allowing unvetted teachers to operate within the system is reckless and unacceptable,” he said.

Minority Front leader Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi said the figures were unacceptable. “Teachers who are perceived to be sexual deviants are a stain on society. Pupils look up to them as role models, replacing their parents when they are at school.

“We demand that this is addressed, and that every teacher is vetted before they are employed. Those who are found to be listed on the child protection and sexual offences registers need to be immediately dismissed,” Thakur-Rajbansi added.

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