With recent attacks at Gauteng schools, the Department of Community Safety and the Department of Education hosted a school safety summit to find measures to curb violence in schools.
The summit was held at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre on April 17.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has called for police and Department of Correctional Services to find non-violent ways to deal with violence in schools. He also emphasised the need for creating conducive learning environments in schools.
“This unwarranted and unruly behaviour by our learners is shocking and is an extreme violation of schools’ code of conducts, which learners are expected to adhere to,” said Lesufi.
“These shocking violent incidents can never be condoned and must be condemned.”
During the summit it was highlighted that crime, violence and various forms of bullying in and around schools disrupt learning and teaching.
A multi-faceted intervention programme was said to be introduced to create awareness, detect criminal activity and prosecute crimes.
Some of the concerns raised were that criminals target schools to steal property and rob people.
The summit deliberated on the following key points:
- Child justice issues, such as school-based prevention
- Early intervention diversion programmes
- Gender-based violence in schools
- Incessant burglaries, theft and damage to school property
- Gangsterism, vandalism, bullying and general violence within school premises
- Responsible social media usage and cyberbullying
- Effective mechanisms to detect, prevent and prosecute crime, including training of educators and parents to detect concerning behaviour
- Ensuring schools are gun-free and drug-free zones
Delegates adopted the following actions to be carried out at schools:
- Recommit themselves and constituencies to reject any forms of violence in schools.
- Engage communities to respect and protect schools and ensure community-based protests do not adversely affect learning and teaching.
- Promote harmonious relations among learners, educators, parents and communities to ensure a safe and conducive learning and teaching environment in schools.
- Establish and develop structures at school, district and community levels that will deliberate and drive implementation of school safety and security plans.
- Report to law enforcement agencies any potential criminal activities against the schools and request them to act swiftly and decisively.
- Call upon the South African Police Service to react timeously to incidents at schools. Further, call upon police to regularly patrol and link up with schools on a continuous basis.
- Review policies on school safety to respond to new challenges and emerging trends.
- Enhance in-school and after-school recreational programmes to ensure full engagement of the children.
- Encourage schools to adopt policies for integrating technology in schools and launch a campaign against cyberbullying.
- To convene regional safety summits across the five regions of Gauteng to localise actions adopted at this summit.
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