SADTU deeply disturbed by a viral video of teacher humiliating a learner
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) is deeply disturbed by a viral video recorded by a teacher showing learners in a classroom eating pies and drinking juice while one learner is sitting covering his face because he did not contribute.
In the video, the teacher can be heard saying she cannot help it if the mother of the child did not contribute. As a Union that defends the rights and dignity of education workers while also upholding the highest professional standards, we strongly condemn such conduct.
The video has angered members of the community with close to 800 people marching to the school,Thembalethu Primary in George, Western Cape this morning demanding the teacher’s expulsion.
The conduct displayed in the video negates the very values that educators are expected to embody. An educator is entrusted with the responsibility to care, protect and nurture every learner equally. The apparent humiliation of a learner is completely unacceptable and does not represent the values of the teaching profession.
The conduct is inconsistent with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) Code of Professional Ethics, which requires educators, in relation to learners, to respect their dignity, beliefs and constitutional rights of learners and in particular children. Further, teachers are expected to uphold the rights of learners to privacy and confidentiality; avoid any humiliation, and refrain from any form of abuse – physical and psychologically.
Ironically, the regional office of SADTU in George recently hosted SACE to conduct workshops on professional teacher conduct. These workshops were open to all educators regardless of union affiliation and were aimed at strengthening professionalism and ethical conduct within the sector.
SADTU calls for calm within the community and urges that the matter be handled through proper legal and administrative processes. The Union will ensure that Department of Education follows due process in investigating the incident and in taking the necessary steps in line with applicable labour and professional regulations.
While we defend the rights of educators, we equality believe that professionalism, care, and respect for the dignity of learners must always guide the conduct of educators.
ISSUED BY: SADTU Secretariat