Minister of Education Dora Siliya has condemned teachers involved in child molestation describing the act as unprofessional and inhuman.
Ms Siliya expressed sadness to note that teachers who are entrusted with the responsibility to take care of children while in school are the ones abusing them sexually, making them pregnant and vulnerable to diseases.
Ms Siliya was speaking when she officiated at a two-day workshop training for the media personnel on Sexual Violence against Girls organised by the Zambia Media Women Organisation (ZAMWA) in Lusaka today.
She disclosed that her ministry has recorded 16 cases of teachers abusing female pupils from February this year to date and added that the trend should be condemned by all Zambians as it is unacceptable and painful to children.
She said the ministry will ensure that the teachers involved in sexual violence against girls in schools are fired and blacklisted so that they do not get near pupils even after serving their sentences.
The minister hass since directed the District Education Boards Secretaries (DEBS), Provincial Education Officers and head teachers to ensure that teachers who abuse girls in schools are reported and suspended pending investigations.
She has also banned teachers from allowing pupils in their houses adding that all tutorial and lessons should be done in classrooms to prevent teachers from sexually abusing school girls.
Ms Siliya further said the minister will push the Teaching Council Bill to Parliament when they resume sitting which will require all practicing teachers to be registered, qualified and ensure that teachers who have committed sexual offences are blacklisted.
She urged journalists to take keen interest in reporting about issues that affect the future of young people and called on them to label sexual violence against girls making it unfashionable.
She regretted that most cases of sexual violence against girls have not been reported and that less people pay less attention to such issues because of lack of information dissemination by reporters.
And speaking earlier, ZAMWA Chairperson Margaret Chimanse explained that the workshop will help journalists to come up with strategies aimed at improving and increasing capacity to report on sexual violence against girls.
Ms Chimanse noted that sexual violence against girls is a silent health emergency which goes unnoticed and slowly under-reported and poorly managed, a trend she said should now be changed.
ZANIS
Siliya, your uncle is one of them, start with him first- Tell us what he did to you?
This is a crime – instead of just holding workshops and condeming – enact tougher laws against such teachers.
Hmm, Siliya, is this an issue of just teachers or AGE difference? What of teacher molestation?
This title is ambigous !
Good start madam Siliya. I hope the media, especially the Post Newspaper, will taking your advise and concentrate on reporting such issues instead of concentrating on Sata this, Mpombo this, RB that…we need headline news whenever child molestation incidents occur so that the culprits are labelled as sexual predators and the practise made unfashionable. It’s time to end the Chalk Bonus nonsense by some irresponsible teachers.
For shizo ur uncle …………..u know who who we talking about! tell us isnt it true that his wifes father is younger than him?????
Unprofessional and inhuman to be stealing from the poor. Miss piggy.
Something useful from Miss P.
Dogma and Musukuma, grow uo and have constructive criticism
True in some ways mwe.Some of ama gelo batulilile by the so called “ba sir” nanomba chilakalipa mwe.Remember one teacher even boasting like “but you guys… ati ba zugo imwe amagelo yenu tayalafyalwa don`t even start developing ideas on your female classmates”.That was some experience.
The Minister ought to to give more thought to how this lunacy is going to be stamped out. Where is the support for helping girls to report such advances in confidence and without fear of recriminations? How and who will investigate such cases? What process will be available to protect innocent teachers who are found to be wrongly accused? How will the message be spread to girls educating them about their rights and available safe guards for their safety once a report is made? What process will be in place to support girls who suffer such crimes? How will the government guarantee that the laws pertaining to this will apply equally to all Zambian citizens regardless of status or political influence? When will the judiciary be reformed to support this? What about molestations outside schools?
Why is she wearing a Chamber pot on her head?
After caught red handed (impregnating the girls), those teachers more so often offer to marry the girls, pay the girls parents a small fee (50 pini… for Damage Lobola or Nsalamu) then father 8-10 children with the victims, go on to become headmasters and abuse 100 other girls without shame!……………. “Give the devil his due”………………
Dora the explorer – Talk is cheap. Explore how you can stamp this evil behaviour. Ahem, discouraging huge age differences would pave way, i.e. men marrying girls 50 years younger: RB+T = 102 years!!!
“describing the act as unprofessional and inhuman.”
Wow! She should have ended at inhuman, oh! Well atleast she is dealing with it. Arrest anyone dating someone below 21 period.
what about you slit…?
Folks, let us not confuse relationships and marriages between consenting adults (whatever the age gap) with adults taking advantage of teenagers. This is a serious issue that requires dealing with and debating sensibly and constructively by all sections of society. Yes, traditionally, people do get married at a young age but they do so within a social system of values that support different communities to those that are in question here. We need to protect vulnerable children from predators of this sort, be they male or female.
If the govt was serious, all this injustice would be arrested, give the police resources and the schools to be well monitored requires money too – we are a very small population. But because alot of resources is spent on police spending their lifetime careers protecting the likes of ailing kunda and the cohorts. This demands resources, not just blah blah blah from overfed obese political mouthpieces.
# 9, i know what am talking about. He must be arrested too. I know Teachers should not be left out, because we send our kids to schools to learn and not to be touched. On Siliya, i know what am talking about. Sorry my cristism are constructive.
Is she saying boys must be abused by female teachers?
#11 Jaro: Good points. Those are some of the questions that need to be answered. It’s good that Madam Siliya has raised this issue and hopefully mechanisms will be put in place to ensure the laws are changed to make it easy to prosecute the culprits and protect the innocent victims. We can for instance adopt the systems used in the Western world with minor alterations to suit our environment. The drag net should be extended to include Sugar Daddies/Investors who ply on innocent underage teenage girls. The first step is to stigmatize the crime and make it unfashionable through the press and other media. The schools should also carry out educational campaigns against the practice.
HONORABLE SILIYA PLEASE SAVE OUR DAUGHTERS FROM THESE ANIMALS CAGE THEM. THE ONES INSULTING YOU ARE THE ONES IN THE HABBIT ON JUMPING ON UNDER AGE KIDS. COME UP WITH STIFFER LAWS SO THAT THAT TERRIBLE WEAPON SOME LUNY TEACHERS CARRY IN THEIR PANTS IS KEPT AWAY FROM PUPILS
dogma and musukuma sunga ichibukala chobe mubombasa bwino you child molester. someone is preaching molarity and trying to protect our daughters and you want to encourage the trend. are you a ngomwa with no children
i am surprised that teachers in chongwe district (chomba, lubalashi, shikabeta and mphashya basic schools) are molesting school children but no action is being taken against them. why? bushe amacheka?
#23, i did not support them, i was trying to say, siliya, should start with her uncle too. am not supporting child molesters, sorry i did not put my writing correctly- you know english is my second chidundu. but, do not insult please, you should have just told me in a nice way or ask what i mean- am sorry about my wrong writing ok.
MUSUKUMA, is you name Estone?
MUSUKUMA, who is Siliya’s uncle?
Atleast something sensible from you miss P. Yes please make sure all teacher are registered with some board. Enact tougher sentences for sex offenders. They should be fired and never practice again.
Freedom of speech LT why have you deleted my posts? Constructive analysis is a healthy state that should be promoted on the blog :o
@ #11, @21 Good observations! In addition the Minister should conduct further investigation as this acts maybe more since only girls who are pregnant by these sexual perverts are only reported. What about girls who do not become pregnant?The boys who are sexually molested by such teachers? The law should parade in public those who are found guilty of such acts. Otherwise just making “conducting Tuition at homes” is not a real solution as it assumes that all teachers are guilty of such acts. This will take away income that supplement teachers whom (Ms Dora) you are not willing to pay them enough to take care their families. Therefore it is important to approach this problem with the seriousness it deserves by addressing teachers pay,disciplinary actions, education services & facilities…
I guess child molesters are the only ones who make her actions in government look good.
Why is it that most people advocating against sexual abuse are women who are not married like siliya, oprah but to mention a few? Are they victims as well? Well good move though by her. At least there is still some sence in her brains.
Exellent observation madam minister.