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'Not all Filadelfia teachers are scum'

INNOCENCE: Pupils at Filadelfia Secondary School in Soshanguve enjoy lunch like at any other local school, unaware that some teachers were frogmarched off the premises for abusing female pupils. Pic: BATHINI MBATHA. 21/02/2010. © Sowetan.
INNOCENCE: Pupils at Filadelfia Secondary School in Soshanguve enjoy lunch like at any other local school, unaware that some teachers were frogmarched off the premises for abusing female pupils. Pic: BATHINI MBATHA. 21/02/2010. © Sowetan.

THE South African Council for Educators (Sace) has visited the Filadelfia Secondary School in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, which was in the news recently for the alleged rape and abuse of pupils.

Filadelfia is a school for visually and hearing impaired and physically challenged pupils. The school was exposed in Sowetan last week for employing teachers who abused, raped and impregnated vulnerable pupils.

Deputy Minister of Public Works Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu last Friday said she had also abused and impregnated at the same school. She said she was expelled when she complained.

Members of Sace visited the school to "make sure that the school was back to normal and help teachers cope with the scandal.

The council will conduct an ethics workshop at which teachers will be reminded of what was expected of them," Sace spokesperson Themba Ndlovu said.

"We want to make teachers aware of their code of conduct. We want to give educators not linked to the rapes counselling because the community thinks all Filadelfia teachers rape children and this is affecting their jobs. These teachers still have a role to play in educating these children.

"It is unfortunate that such despicable activities took place at the school. Morale may be down now but we appreciate the fact that the department has suspended the perpetrators," Ndlovu said.

Eight staff members accused of sexually abusing pupils at the school were on Tuesday served with suspension letters and frogmarched from the premises by officials from the Gauteng department of education.

Four of the alleged abusers are teachers, three security guards and one a cook. Another teacher resigned in December after reportedly admitting to sexual misconduct.

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