In response to a wave of allegations of sexual assault cases against teachers, teachers will no longer be allowed to register with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) without producing a police clearance certificate as of next year.
Times Select reported that 99 cases of sexual "misconduct", including rape, were reported to SACE between April 2016 and March 2017.
SACE spokesperson Themba Ndhlovu told Times Select that the organisation hopes the new measure will stop the sexual abuse of learners by teachers.
At the moment, teachers registering with SACE only have to indicate if they have a criminal record or not, but are reportedly not required to produce proof of this.
A committee from SACE then investigates whether the teacher is fit to teach, after examining the teacher's criminal certificate, Ndhlovu reportedly said.
SACE is also reportedly talking to the departments of social development and justice about gaining access to the national sex offenders register, and plans to conduct "serious vetting" of teachers are ongoing, he reportedly said.
Just last week, a report by the Gauteng department of education revealed allegations of rampant sexual abuse of learners at Parktown Boys' High in Johannesburg, The Star reported.
In the Mandlanzini village on KwaZulu-Natal's northern coast, the sexual abuse of learners is reportedly rife, according to TimesLive.
At least 80 learners were reportedly abused by a security patroller at a Soweto school. According to The Star, a police forensic investigator working on the cases allegedly abused two of the learners.
More allegations of sexual abuse surfaced in October last year, this time at a Diepsloot school, News24 reported.