Three years after the government began mandatory vetting of teachers against the National Register for Sex Offenders, more than 119,000 educators across several provinces remain unchecked, raising serious concerns about learner safety and the pace of implementation.

More than 119,000 teachers across seven provinces have yet to be vetted against South Africa's National Register for Sex Offenders, despite the process having started in 2023 as part of efforts to protect children in schools. Figures obtained by Daily Maverick from provincial education departments reveal that progress in vetting educators remains uneven, with administrative delays, backlogs and lengthy processing times slowing implementation.

The findings come a year after Daily Maverick reported that only 19% of SA's public school teachers had been vetted against the National Register for Sex Offenders. At the time, just over 78,000 of the country's 405,738 teachers had received clearance certificates, leaving 81% unchecked.

Read more Teacher vetting crisis: over 81% of educators remain unchecked amidst child safety concerns May 14, 2025 Provincial education departments told Daily Maverick that thousands of teachers were still awaiting clearance certificates. They also confirmed that cases involving sexual misconduct identified through investigations were referred to labour relations processes and, where necessary, the South African Police Service (SAPS).

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The National Register for Sex Offenders, established in 2009 and maintained by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, contains the records of individuals convicted and sentenced for sexual offences...