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Teacher vetting crisis: over 81% of educators remain unchecked amidst child safety concerns

Teacher vetting crisis: over 81% of educators remain unchecked amidst child safety concerns
Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube. (Photo: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images )
Siyabonga Goni
By Siyabonga Goni
14 May 2025
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The figures were revealed following a parliamentary question about vetting teachers against the National Register for Sex Offenders, which began in 2023.

The figures were revealed following a parliamentary question by Liezl van der Merwe (IFP) to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube about the vetting of teachers against the National Register for Sex Offenders (NSRO), following a case of rape involving a seven-year-old pupil from Matatiele in the Eastern Cape.

The department revealed that only 19% of the country’s teachers have been vetted to date. This means that, out of 405,738 teachers, just more than 78,000 clearance certificates have been issued – leaving a staggering 81% of teachers unchecked.

Department spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa told Daily Maverick: “Provincial education departments reported on 7 March 2025 that their NRSO vetting has revealed that 49 employees have records of past sexual offences.”

The provincial breakdown of teachers found to be past sexual offenders is:


  • Eastern Cape: 3;

  • Free State: 21;

  • Gauteng: 17;

  • KwaZulu-Natal: 0;

  • Limpopo: 0;

  • Mpumalanga: 0;

  • Northern Cape: 1;

  • North West: 0; and

  • Western Cape: 7.


In its answer to Parliament the department said KwaZulu-Natal had the most teachers (91,508), only 7% of whom had been vetted. It was followed by Gauteng (77,225) where 28% had been vetted. In Limpopo no teachers had been vetted, while the Northern Cape had 10,687 teachers, with 20% having been vetted.

The department said the mandatory vetting of current employees against the NRSO began in 2023 and is ongoing. In terms of the The National Child Protection Register (NCPR), training was provided to human resources practitioners in provincial education departments (PEDs) in October and November 2022.

Established in 2009, the NRSO includes the records of people found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for sexual offences against children and the vulnerable. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development maintains the database. The NCPR records vulnerable children under the age of 18 who need care and protection. It is maintained by the Department of Social Development and designated child protection organisations. The Basic Education Department said PEDs have been advised to take steps to ensure the 49 teachers do not have any access to children.

teacher vetting Gwarube sex offenders Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube. (Photo: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images )


Delays in vetting


In the minister’s answer to the parliamentary question she revealed that there were delays in vetting teachers because of constraints at police stations and the Department of Justice.

Read more: Sex offenders remain ‘shielded’ by SA privacy law after minister puts the brakes on national register

Daily Maverick asked the department whether it blamed the Department of Police and Department of Justice for the slow vetting pace. “The success of the process to ensure that all educators and public service staff in schools are vetted against the NRSO requires that all stakeholders in the value chain are sufficiently resourced and equipped. No stakeholder has a greater or lesser role to play. Constraints in any of the steps along the value chain create bottlenecks in a system that is trying to vet close to 500,000 individuals,” Vangqa said. 

However, the national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, told Daily Maverick there are no capacity constraint problems in the police service. “The SAPS do not have any capacity constraints regarding taking fingerprints nor issuing of a police clearance report.”

Independent schools


The minister said independent schools are employers in their own right and the Basic Education Department does not monitor the vetting of those teachers. However, there have been a number of cases of sexual offences at independent schools, including the recent alleged rape of the seven-year-old in Matatiele. 

“Following reports of incidents at independent schools, the Department of Basic Education will review its oversight mechanisms in respect of provincial education departments that are directly responsible for the registration and monitoring of independent schools in the interest of ensuring the safety of learners placed in the care of those independent school,” Vangqa said.

Read more: ‘Cwecwe’ rape case — ‘complex’ investigation could have been elevated to senior cops sooner, says Mchunu

In recent reports, the Education Labour Relations Council confirmed that 111 cases of sexual harassment and abuse of pupils by teachers had been referred to them in the 2024/25 financial year. In 2024, 22 teachers in the Eastern Cape were suspended for serious misconduct involving pupils. Five of those cases involved sexual assault, three involved raping a pupil and three involved inappropriate relationships with pupils. One has been dismissed while the rest are still in disciplinary hearings.

In her response to Van der Merwe’s questions the minister said the Basic Education Department is committed to ensuring that no person deemed unsuitable to work with children is employed in the basic education sector. She added that preventing sexual offenders and individuals listed on the NRSO or NCPR from accessing the education system is a shared responsibility involving all stakeholders. DM

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