From drugs and dangerous weapons found on school premises to sexual harassment allegations involving educators, Gauteng schools are facing a range of challenges that threaten teaching and learning.
By Mapaballo Borotho
Gauteng schools have been making headlines over the past few days, but not for academic achievements or teaching excellence; instead, they have been grabbing attention for all the wrong reasons.
At the beginning of the month, Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile embarked on a search and seizure operation at one of Johannesburg’s schools, where drugs and dangerous weapons were found in pupils’ bags.
On Wednesday, 19 August 2026, more than 100 prohibited items, including ganja cakes, drugs and weapons, were seized again at three different schools in Alexandra.
These operations make us wonder when and how teaching and learning take place in these schools.
Do pupils learn while they are under the influence of drugs? And are teachers able to their jobs or are failing to handle the crowd?
Speaking on Kaya 959’s Point of View, MEC Lebogang Maile told Phemelo Motene that all pupils who were found with these prohibited items must face the full might of the law.
“Our concern in these schools is the issue of discipline, and we want all the principals of these schools to take responsibility. We cannot keep on visiting schools and conducting these operations; it is not sustainable.”
Maile also touched on the issue of overcrowding in Gauteng schools, which is one of the factors that creates most problems in these schools.
Listen to the podcast for the full conversation.
Pupil and teacher relationships: Sexual harassment allegations???
Earlier this month, Kaya 959 covered a story of sexual harassment allegations involving a teacher and a pupil at Curtis Nkondo School of Specialisation in Soweto.
Initial reports suggest that a teacher’s remarks made one of the pupils feel uncomfortable, prompting the Education Department to investigate allegations of sexual harassment.
A Grade 11 pupil claimed that an educator made an inappropriate sexual remark to her during the second term. These allegations were confirmed by a second learner, who said she was present during the interaction and submitted a statement that substantially supports the allegation.
The educator has denied making the alleged inappropriate remarks.
In a separate incident at Minerva Secondary School, an educator has been accused of sexually harassing a 17-year-old Grade 12 pupil.
“The allegations relate to alleged inappropriate communication between the educator and the learner, which reportedly began in June 2026 and continued through WhatsApp and other interactions,” said Maile.
The accused teacher has been placed on precautionary suspension pending the outcome of the formal investigation.
These are some of the issues facing teachers and pupils in Gauteng schools. These are also among the many factors that disrupt teaching and learning in schools.
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