JOHANNESBURG - A total of 22,020 reports of child abuse were recorded in Gauteng schools between 2023 and 2026.
The figure was revealed by Education MEC Lebohang Maile in a written response to questions from the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
The reports include physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse, as well as serious offences such as rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and exposure to or the creation of abusive material.
According to the department, clinical counselling services handled 3,960 reports of emotional abuse, 695 rape cases, 423 cases of sexual assault, and 74 cases of sexual harassment.
The Special Investigations Directorate also investigated 15 cases of corporal punishment, seven cases of educator bullying, two cases of learners being assaulted by educators, and seven cases of sexual abuse involving educators or principals.
In his response, Maile said the reported incidents reflected a broad range of learner safety, protection and wellbeing concerns both inside and outside the school environment.
"The incidents further include violence such as assaults, stabbings, shootings, fights and gangsterism, as well as bullying perpetrated by teachers, other learners, parents and other stakeholders," he said.
The department was unable to provide information on the average time taken to complete investigations or the number of child abuse cases reported over the past 10 years.
Maile said the department continues to use established toll-free and confidential reporting lines to enable the safe and anonymous reporting of suspected child abuse and other learner protection concerns.
DA Shadow MEC for Education Sergio Isa Dos Santos said the party has called for a centralised case-tracking system with enforceable investigation deadlines.
In a statement, the DA said:
"This revelation exposes the shocking extent of abuse in Gauteng schools and the department's failure to protect learners. A department that cannot measure its own performance cannot claim to be protecting vulnerable learners."
The party added: "The department's failure to provide the average turnaround time for investigations is concerning. This lack of transparency makes it impossible to assess whether allegations of child abuse are being investigated or whether vulnerable learners are receiving the protection they deserve."