Pretoria - The Department for Women has expressed concern at the way that female learners at the Jordao College were treated following suspicion of sexual activity on the school’s premises.
This follows reports of alleged sexual harassment at the school last week. It is believed that female learners at the school were checked by female teachers for sexually activity after a cleaner found a bloodied condom in the girl’s toilet.
“This incident shows that we still have a long way to go in dealing with gender stereotypes in our society. Often women and girls are subjected to practices which infringe their fundamental right to equal treatment as is the case here,” Ministry spokesperson Kenosi Machepa said on Tuesday.
For example, when a school girl falls pregnant society discriminates and puts the blame solely on the girl child, while the one who impregnated her carries on with their life uninterrupted.
“The fact that the female learners were checked by female educators for alleged sexual activity after a cleaner found a used condom in the girl’s toilets, does little to preserve the dignity of the affected learners. The instinctive response from the school shows underlying societal stereotypes. It sends a negative message about the privacy and right to dignity of the girl child and women in society,” explained Machepa.
The department said it was a worrying factor that a used condom was found on school premises, indicating the need to strengthen sexual education and life orientation at schools.
The Department for Women commended the Gauteng Department of Education for steps taken to get to the bottom of the incident.
This as Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi on Monday instructed the school management of Jardao College, in Johannesburg, to write a letter of apology to parents of Grade 10-12 girl learners at the school. - SAnews.gov.za
