DA reports teachers after shocking humiliation

28 June 2017

The DA has reported teachers from H.S. Phillips Secondary School near Elim to the South African Council for Educators (SACE) for humiliating and violating the privacy of grade 11 and 12 learners, by making them remove all their clothing to search for crib notes before writing their midyear examinations last week.

Boys and girls were searched separately by having their clothing removed. Some learners were not wearing any underwear and suffered obvious humiliation and anxiety as a result.

According to SACE’s teachers’ code of conduct, all teachers must respect the dignity and constitutional rights of learners, which includes the right to privacy and confidentiality.

The DA believes that the teachers involved violated their code through this despicable and archaic conduct and that the incident needs to be investigated urgently. Immediate disciplinary action must be taken against teachers who are found guilty.

The DA will further inform MEC for Education, Ishmael Kgetjepe, of this incident and request that he immediately suspend these teachers, pending an investigation. We will also request that social workers are dispatched to provide counselling to these learners, especially those who were forced to remain naked in full view of all the teachers and learners.

Issued by Jacques Smalle, DA Provincial Spokesperson on Education, 28 June 2017