Teachers to be sacked for watching x-rated material

Teachers who are in a habit of watching x-rated material on duty will soon be fired.

Also those who sleep at work and  refuse to work overtime will be sacked.

This is after  Government  gazetted statutory Instrument 72 of 2016 governing the running of government and council schools.

The statutory instrument lists as serious offences misuse of school property, smoking in prohibited places, doing private business during working hours, incompetence, neglect of duty, absenteeism, among other things.

It spells out dismissible acts of misconduct as embezzlement, fraud, sexual harassment, assault, damaging school property, theft and refusing to work overtime.

Sleeping on duty is also a serious offence.

"It is a misconduct if an employee sleeps on duty instead of performing his or her duties. An employee has a duty to be awake throughout the period of his or her shift and therefore he or she neglects that duty if he or she falls asleep. Sleeping on duty is aggravated if the job involves security or operating machines and the injury or damage caused costs more than $501.00," reads the SI.Illegal job action is also cited as a dismissible offence as well as incitement to strike.

On overtime, the SI states that: "An employee commits misconduct if he or she refuses to work overtime or perform standby duties when one is given adequate notice by a person in authority."

Under sexual harassment, it lists as an offence "viewing of pornographic or sexually explicit material on internet and distribution of such material by e-mail to fellow employees and school children and if sex is demanded for favours promised."