Three years after the government introduced mandatory checks of teachers against the national register for sex offenders, more than 119,000 teachers remain unregistered in several provinces, raising serious concerns about learner safety and the pace of implementation.
More than 119,000 teachers in seven provinces have yet to be checked against South Africa's national register for sex offenders, despite the process starting in 2023 as part of efforts to protect children in schools. Data obtained by Daily Maverick from provincial education departments shows that progress in vetting teachers remains uneven due to administrative delays, backlogs and long processing times.
The findings come a year after the Daily Maverick reported that only 19% of SA's public school teachers were checked against the national register for sex offenders. At that time, more than 78,000 of the country's 405,738 teachers had received no-objection certificates, leaving 81% uncertified.
Read More Teacher vetting crisis: More than 81% of teachers remain unvetted amid child safety concerns May 14, 2025 Provincial education departments told Daily Maverick that thousands of teachers are still waiting for clearance certificates. He also confirmed that cases involving sexual misconduct identified through investigations were referred to labor relations procedures and, where necessary, to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
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The National Register for Sex Offenders, established in 2009 and maintained by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, contains records of individuals convicted and sentenced for sexual offences…