The Department of Basic Education is studying ways to strengthen interaction between teachers and students through WhatsApp and other social media platforms. This comes amid growing concern regarding the boundaries between acceptable support and inappropriate contact.
These steps are being taken after Parliament has repeatedly raised issues concerning sexual misconduct involving educators and students. The Basic Education Portfolio Committee was informed that the Education Labour Relations Council recorded 469 cases of sexual misconduct involving educators between the 2018/19 and 2024/25 academic years.
An educator from Gauteng is currently under investigation regarding suspicions of improper communication on WhatsApp with a seventeen-year-old student. This teacher from Minerva Secondary School in Alexandra was temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure following allegations that communication with the student, which began in June, contained inappropriate suggestions.
These allegations prompted a student protest at the school in August. The Gauteng Department of Education stated that the matter had been referred for investigation. This case drew attention to the widespread use of WhatsApp by teachers to communicate with students about school assignments, homework, and other matters outside the classroom.
Terrence Hala, Acting Director of Communications and Research at the Department of Basic Education, stated that the department is addressing this issue within the context of broader concerns about student protection and ensuring that interactions between educators and students occur within appropriate professional boundaries. He noted that the issue was raised during departmental meetings with Parliament regarding rape and sexual misconduct involving students, as well as through interim reports from the Youth20 and Women20 processes.
Hala emphasized: 'One of the potential risk areas identified was direct and largely unregulated digital communication between individual educators and students, including platforms such as WhatsApp.' He clarified that the department does not assert that WhatsApp communication is inherently unacceptable or that inappropriate communication is widespread in the education system.
According to Hala, 'Digital communication has become an important part of information exchange among schools, educators, students, and parents.' However, the concern is that one-on-one communication conducted outside proper institutional oversight can create risks to protection and hinder schools in maintaining professional boundaries and accountability.
The department is examining how existing tools, including exemplary codes of conduct and other school management mechanisms, can help schools and School Governing Bodies develop policies regarding digital communication at the school level. Hala added that one of the key principles they are considering is that communication should, whenever possible, take place through transparent and accountable channels, rather than private, uncontrolled one-on-one conversations.
He also noted that 'school-related group communication can occur through properly formed groups where there are clear rules regarding the group's purpose, appropriate content, behavior, participation, and accountability.'
The department reminded schools that they do not need to wait for additional measures before taking action against inappropriate behavior. Existing legislation, professional standards, employment frameworks, and student protection mechanisms are already applied to educators. It was stressed that unacceptable, overtly sexual, exploitative, or abusive communication with a student can be considered a serious offense and, depending on the circumstances, may require legal notification and referral to law enforcement or child protection agencies.
Rhian van den Berg, legal advisor to the Federation of School Governing Bodies (FEDSAS), stated that schools need clear rules on when and how teachers should communicate directly with students. He believes that one-on-one communication outside of working hours should generally be limited, except in emergencies or when a student requires support, protection, or care. Van den Berg stressed that 'working hours after the end of the day must be respected by both students and educators, who also have families and personal lives.' He suggested that schools consider setting end times for work, such as 4:00 PM or 6:00 PM, depending on their situation. He also supported the use of official school communication systems instead of teachers relying on personal social media accounts. 'We support a formal and official communication channel and platform, not a social media platform,' he stated. Regarding WhatsApp groups, he advised that communication should preferably be visible to others, rather than occurring privately between a teacher and a student.
Researcher Yolisa Piliso of Equal Education noted that the issue should not be reduced solely to the technology used. She stated: 'In addition to focusing only on digital tools, we would like to see the discussion of this issue also include a focus on human behavior, ethics, morality, and values.' Piliso pointed out that South Africa already possesses a substantial constitutional and legislative framework regulating the rights and duties of students and educators, and the emphasis should be on its implementation and enforcement. She stressed the need for protective measures for students without unduly restricting legitimate educational relationships. 'The goal should not be to create an overly regulated environment where normal interaction between students and teachers is unreasonably restricted. Rather, the goal should be to establish clear boundaries, accountability, and protective measures while maintaining healthy educational relationships.'