TWO teachers from a high school in Lenyenye outside Tzaneen were suspended last Monday following allegations by six learners that the teachers had promised these learners that they would pass gr. 12 if they had sex with the teachers.
The teachers allegedly demanded sexual favours from the learners, who were aged between 19 and 21 years at the time. The learners alleged that these activities started last year after the girls had failed gr. 11 more than twice.
School principal Barnert Letsoalo confirmed the suspensions and said investigations continued.
“The girls told the school management that the teachers gave them money and bought them cell phones after sleeping with them.
“They also claimed that the teachers, who were suspended with full pay pending the outcome of the investigations, promised to make sure that they passed gr. 12 if they had sex with them,” Letsoalo said.
One of the learners involved told CV she had separated from her boyfriend because of the conduct of one of the two suspended teachers.
She described the teachers’ sexual advances in detail.
Another learner said one of the two teachers suggested that she was “ripe for harvest”.
“He said I should sleep with him and he would make sure that I passed at the end of the year. At first I refused, but he started to mistreat me in class and eventually I complied.
“When the results were made public at the end of the year, I found that I had failed. It was then that I decided to spill the beans,” she said.
Education department spokesperson Paena Galane said teachers were viewed as parental figured of learners. “It doesn’t matter how beautiful or how old the learner is, the law doesn’t permit teachers to have romantic relationships with learners. If found on the wrong side of the law, the teachers will face harsh punishment from the department,” he said.
