The lack of management, operational capacity and policies in School Governing Bodies (SGBs) contribute to the insecurity of Alex schools.
This was said by Milton Buthelezi, a member of the National School Governing Bodies following recent revelations in this paper of crime besieging schools which have led to the loss of expensive, essential educational material and equipment.
This concern was raised by secondary school principals at a recent donation of computers by Standard Bank. The principals worry that donated items may disappear in the absence of improved security.
The Alex Police Station management concurred and appealed for improved and co-ordinated measures on crime prevention at schools. Also, schoolchildren recently marched to the police station and the Alex Community Policing Forum office to register the same concern through a memorandum.
This was also after Emfundisweni Primary School pupils chased two thugs who escaped after stealing a visiting a Gauteng Department of Education official’s private and work-related equipment; and the theft of tablets following the shooting of a security guard at Alex High School, despite occasional police school raids which sometimes seize dangerous weapons and illegal substances from the pupils.
Buthelezi said the challenge was worrisome and there was a huge risk of more serious incidents if the matter wasn’t attended to urgently. He said most schools have no surveillance cameras and security guards, and safety patrollers are unprotected against dangerous armed thugs.
“The criminals appear to be well informed of the schools’ settings. They raid those known to have computers, tablets and other technical equipment – which seem not to be security coded and traceable,” Buthelezi said.
“The SGBs, which are in their second year of a three-year term, lack the capacity and knowledge of their roles and responsibilities as they haven’t trained. The training is for a day and inadequate to empower them on policy-making processes and decision-making.”
He said by law, they should be trained in the first year for tasks on school oversight, relationships with school management, school grants management, meeting procedures, reporting and accountability to residents and education stakeholders. “This is grossly lacking and results in their preoccupation only with the financial aspects of the grants, for whatever reason.
“Security policies are essential to safeguard the schools, empower guards and community patrollers, who are mostly female and vulnerable, and to draw in external expertise on security.”
He urged school management and the Gauteng Department of Education to assist, develop and implement security policies within schools.
