The teacher who taught technology, life orientation and tourism also made his first appearance in court last month.
Children’s safety at schools and being exposed to sex at a young age has again come under the spotlight.
Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed that the disciplinary hearing of a school governing body-appointed teacher at Hoërskool Centurion had fired the employee.
Teacher dismissed and banned from teaching
“Accordingly, his contract with the SGB has been terminated and as such, he is prohibited from accessing the school,” he said.
Mabona said this decision was communicated to the South African Council for Educators (Sace), so that the teacher’s name is permanently removed from the Sace register.
“This step would revoke the said teacher’s teaching accreditation, preventing employment at any school or educational institution in South Africa in the future,” he said.
The teacher who taught technology, life orientation and tourism for Grades 8 to 12, also made his first appearance in court last month.
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SAOU teachers union spokesperson Dems Nel said the union took note of the recent developments in the case of the alleged rape of a pupil at Hoërskool Centurion.
“We were not involved in this matter and as a result we cannot comment on whether it happened or not,” he said.
Nel said schools should be a safe place for pupils as they are the most fragile part of our community.
“If there are allegations of misconduct, it is important that the same be investigated and acted on promptly,” he said.
Broader concern about sexual abuse in schools
In September, the DA attended the case of a Bronkhorstspruit Primary School rape accused in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court following the alleged rape of an eight-year-old girl.
DA leader Helen Zille said during the visit that South Africa has a child rape and statutory rape crisis.
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“Mothers as young as 10 years are giving birth in growing numbers. In order to deal with gender-based violence, girl children must be protected from sexual abuse at the hands of older men,” she said.
Unchain Our Children founder Wayne van Onselen said a child cannot consent to have sex with an adult.
Van Onselen said there was grave concern about the things children were being exposed to on social media at an early age.
Van Onselen said that there was a very fine line between the sexual consent age between children of two years.
“A 16-year-old and the other one a 14-year-old, or the one 16 years old and the other one 18 years, that is consent when they are both children,” he said.
However, a child cannot ever consent to sex with an adult.
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