Last week Thursday, reports of alleged sexual harassment arose from school learners at the Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School in Kaalfontein, Midrand.
The reports came from three grade 8 girls, alleging that they have been subjected to sexual harassment at the hands of grade 10 and grade 11 boys.
The allegations have since caused quite a stir amongst the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) and the school, as the relevant authorities now work to properly resolve the issue.
The allegations first came to light on Thursday, the 8th of September with the two grade 8 girls telling their school principal that a boy in grade 10 had sexually harassed them both on the 6th and 7th of September respectively, after school.
On Friday, the 9th of September, the third grade 8 girl stepped forward, this time claiming two other grade 10 boys and one grade 11 boy had also sexually harassed her.
The incidents, although separate, speak to a larger issue of sexual harassment in schools.
Spokesperson for the GDE, Steve Mabona has called these allegations "worrisome" and has urged victims to report the perpetrators so that the law can deal with them accordingly.
"Indeed these cases are worrisome and any learner or employee reported to have sexually harassed anyone on our school premises will face necessary disciplinary action and possibly be removed from our school. We urge victims or witnesses to report such cases so that they can be dealt with immediately," said Mabona.
Sexual harassment has been a growing concern across the country, especially in our schools; the South African Council for Educators (SACE) even shared a shocking list of misconducts within the Basic Education sector in November last year.
Both teachers and learners have been found guilty of sexual misconduct on various occasions, whether that's amongst fellow teaching colleagues, inappropriate relationships/interactions between learners and teachers, or learners harassing other learners.
South Africa is a country rife with Gender-Based Violence (GBV), primarily aimed towards women and girls, and sexual harassment experienced by teen girls is a fairly common experience.
It's important to note that sexual harassment is one of the many branches of GBV and should be taken just as seriously as cases of rape and abuse.
Mabona has also called the incidents amongst the above-mentioned learners "unexpected" and "horrifying", especially because the perpetrators could easily return to school the next day as if nothing horrific had previously unfolded.
"We condemn, in the strongest possible sense, any ill-discipline in our schools, and such behaviour will never be tolerated," reads a media statement released by the Gauteng Education Department.
Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School has launched an investigation into the reports and has suspended the perpetrators in the meantime. A disciplinary hearing will be held in due time, where the parents of the learners will have to be in attendance.
