Question NW2122 to the Minister of Basic Education
18 July 2018 - NW2122
America, Mr D to ask the Minister of Basic Education
With reference to her reply to question 1347 on 23 May 2018, (a)(i) on what specific date did the SA Council of Educators (SACE) initiate discussions with the Department of Social Development to gain access to the Child Protection Register and (ii) what progress has been made in this regard and (b) why did SACE not initiate discussions before the specified date as the Register was established in 2005?
Reply:
SACE RESPONSE:
(a)(i) On the 28th March 2018 at the Department of Basic Education.
(ii) Names of all relevant struck-off educators with misconduct cases involving minors were sent to the Registrar for inclusion in the National Child Protection Register in April 2018.
The message that the SACE registration process will incorporate clearance certificates from the South African Police Services, National Child Protection Register and National Register of Sexual Offenses from 1st January 2019 has been advocated and communicated through the 52 letters sent directly to the stakeholders in April 2018 to communicate further to their members and constituencies. Additionally, the message was communicated further through the SACE teacher and stakeholder report was communicated as follows:
- Sent directly to all the stakeholders on 16 – 17 May 2018;
- SACE Facebook in May 2018;
- SACE Website in May 2018;
- SACE External Newsletter in June 2018; and
- SACE teacher Professionalisation stakeholder consultation and bilateral process that commenced in May 2018
Section 125 of the Children’s Act will be implemented through the assistance of the Director-General of the DBE.
(b) The issue of Screening the Registration Applicants against the Child Protection Register was not explicit in the SACE Act. Hence SACE focused largely on registering the educators against the set Council approved criteria at the time.
With the clarification of the Registration processes in relation to the Children’s Act, corrective measures have been put in place. Hence the engagements between SACE, Department of Basic Education and Department of Social Development; putting systems into place internally, and ensuring key messages and implementation processes, on this matter, are advocated and communicated broadly to all the teachers and stakeholders.