Gauteng Education to meet with Tiyelelani Secondary School parents this weekend amid sexual assault claims

JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Education Department will convene a parents’ meeting at the Tiyelelani Secondary School in Soshanguve this weekend to reiterate its commitment to learner safety.

This comes after the department relieved the school’s principal and three teachers of their duties, pending an investigation of sexual assault allegations against the educators.

Pupils embarked on a strike for two days this week and are set to return to class

On Wednesday a protest at the school was escalated by the political parties and civil rights groups joining in to support the learners.

The department went into a meeting with the members and sought learners who would give their complaints to a social worker who was brought to the school-- however, none of the learners went forward.

The department also said that learners who have made sexual abuse allegations against teachers at the Tiyelelani Secondary School in have been afraid to relay their experiences.

Gauteng Education Spokesperson Steve Mabona said that this will make it difficult to adequatelyinvestigate their claims.

The learners allege that some were raped by teachers while a bus driver has also been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with another pupil.

Gauteng EFF Deputy Chairperson, Phillip Makwala who joined protests on Wednesday said that its justified for learners to be afraid.

"There are many who are choosing to remain anonymous, who are choosing not to come out in fear of victimisation hence part of our response in that meeting was let us not abuse our learners by making them say teacher who did this and that."