On November 10 an unveiling ceremony of the Malvern Primary School signage was held at the school.
The signage was sponsored by the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) as part of its ‘Taking Risks Wisely’ programme.
The school is situated within a 5km radius of licensed gambling and sports betting operations.
The ‘Taking Risks Wisely’ campaign is about raising awareness about the problem of gambling in communities.
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“Part of the concept for this year is a campaign to declare schools as being gambling free zones. The idea is informed by the strategic position of schools in our communities. Key stakeholders in schools including learners, teachers and parents are agents of change in our communities,” said Alda Bester, a teacher from Malvern Primary.
The vision of SARGF is to minimise the harmful effects of gambling in communities.
The ‘Taking Risks Wisely’ national school programme was designed in response to the National Gambling Act 2004 as amended.
The Act seeks to safeguard minors from exposure to gambling activities.
The programme aims to highlight and inform learners about the consequences and high-risk behaviour pertaining to gambling and illegal gambling.
The programme makes use of theatre to convey key educational messages about the consequences of illegal gambling.
The programme also trains life orientation and life skills teachers on how to introduce the topics in the classroom.
A short lesson was given by Bester on the dangers of high-risk behaviour.
The lesson provokes debate about the psycho-social factors that influence decision-making in daily life.
Present at the event were representatives from the Gauteng Gambling Board, the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board, the Gambling Indaba and the Department of Education.
The school’s signage was unveiled by the executive director of the foundation, Sibongile Simelane-Quntana and the headmaster of the school, Marcus Heradien.
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