Teacher resigns after sexual misconduct allegations at Durbanville school

A teacher at a private school in Durbanville has resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct involving a grade seven learner surfaced during a school camp.

The incident, which has shaken the local school community, is now under investigation, with questions mounting over vetting processes and oversight in private schools.

Allegations emerge at school camp

According to reports, the male teacher allegedly engaged in sexual activity with the learner during a school camp.

The pair were allegedly discovered by a group of grade 12 pupils.

The teacher resigned shortly after the allegations came to light.

Past misconduct raises serious concerns

Further investigation revealed the same teacher had previously been found guilty of sexual assault in 2017 following a Western Cape Education Department (WCED) disciplinary process.

At the time, the outcome barred him from working in public schools.

However, the recent incident took place at a private school, raising concerns about gaps between public and independent school systems and whether proper background checks were conducted.

It remains unclear whether the school was aware of the teacher’s record.

Police report dispute

The school has told parents and guardians it is treating the matter as serious and is cooperating with authorities.

It also claims the matter was reported to the police.

However, police have indicated no sexual offence case has been reported to them.

This contradiction has added to concerns about transparency and accountability.

Calls for tighter oversight

All educators in South Africa are bound by the South African Council of Educators’ code of professional ethics, which requires misconduct to be reported.

The case has renewed scrutiny on whether private schools are being held to the same standards as public institutions.

Authorities have previously flagged the issue. Between the 2021/22 and 2025/26 financial years, 211 cases of alleged sexual misconduct by educators were referred to the Education Labour Relations Council.

Of these, 176 educators were found guilty.

Silence from parents, for now

No parents have publicly commented on the incident.

The school community is small, and the story only recently came to light.

More reaction is expected in the coming days as the investigation unfolds.

For more details, scroll up to listen to Chantélle Hartebeest of Novus Media on CapeTalk using the embedded audio player.