The male teachers preying on their own pupils are a disgrace to the noble profession. The campaign to identify these culprits must be intensified so that they are weeded out before they wreak more havoc.
It is disappointing that the endemic bad behaviour remains entrenched despite efforts by the authorities to enhance the protection of these vulnerable learners.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) deserves kudos for relentlessly cracking down on the vice.
Indeed, the male teachers account for almost all of the tutors deregistered by the TSC for various offences. Of the 562 teachers struck out and banned from the profession since 2020, only five are female.
The Code of Regulations for Teachers, the Code of Conduct and Ethics for Teachers and as the TSC Act (2012) are useful tools in combating these offences.
Sexual offences
The most common breaches for which the errant teachers are deregistered are sexual offences, alcoholism, desertion of duty and embezzlement of funds. However, the majority involve sexual offences, which is a violation of the trust bestowed in the teachers.
To get the teachers to adhere to their code of conduct, the TSC periodically publishes the names and registration numbers of those it strikes off its register. It is, however, disturbing that the number of offenders has more than doubled in the past two years.
This should concern, not just the head teachers and education officials, but also the teachers’ unions and parents. The abuse of these boys and girls can be traumatic and have adverse lifelong consequences.
Head teachers and education officials must step up supervision and monitoring to ensure that teachers observe the code of conduct and thus protect the innocent children in school.
