A System Failing Its Children: Unions, Activists Slam Education Dept Over GBV Inaction

A System Failing Its Children: Unions, Activists Slam Education Dept Over GBV Inaction

The very institutions tasked with protecting young people are being accused of failing them. The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) and the Department of Basic Education are facing a storm of criticism for their perceived inaction in tackling the epidemic of gender-based violence (GBV) within the nation’s schools.

Despite repeated promises and drafted policies, critics say there is a devastating lack of tangible action and implementation, leaving learners vulnerable and without adequate support.

Empty Promises, Concrete Fears

The criticism centers on a glaring gap between policy and practice. While official documents may acknowledge the problem of GBV, there appears to be no effective, nationwide plan to address it at the school level. Teachers are often left without training on how to handle disclosures of abuse, and learners lack clear, trusted reporting channels.

This inaction creates an environment where perpetrators, whether they are other learners or even educators, can operate with a sense of impunity. The message it sends to victims is deafening: your suffering is not important enough to trigger a decisive response from the system meant to nurture you.

A Call for Accountability and Urgent Training

SADTU, as the largest teachers’ union, is being called upon to take a more proactive and forceful stand. Critics argue the union must move beyond statements and actively ensure its members are part of the solution, championing mandatory training and a zero-tolerance stance within school staffrooms.

Similarly, the Department of Basic Education is being slammed for a top-down approach that doesn’t translate into resources and support for individual schools. The call is for a rollout of concrete, funded programs that include counseling services, clear disciplinary procedures, and age-appropriate education on consent and healthy relationships for all learners.

The Cost of Silence

The human cost of this bureaucratic failure is immense. For a child experiencing harassment or assault, school can become a prison of anxiety and fear instead of a place of learning. When reports are met with silence or dismissal, it compounds the trauma and erodes any remaining trust in authority figures.

This is more than an administrative failure; it is a moral one. The continued inaction on school-based GBV normalizes violence for an entire generation. Protecting learners is not a secondary function of educationit is the foundational requirement without which no real learning can occur. The time for plans on paper is over; the demand is for action in every hallway and classroom.

{Source: The Citizen}

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