Gauteng Education MEC warns gangsterism, drugs a concern in schools

The Gauteng Education Department has reported that at least 245 schools in the province have been identified as high-risk due to their locations and student behavior.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane revealed the statistics after hosting the department’s first school safety imbizo in Klipspruit, south of Johannesburg, on Saturday.

Schools reflection

Chiloane said schools are “reflections of the communities surrounding them.”

“What occurs in these communities inevitably influences what happens within our schools. Peaceful communities tend to foster safe schools, while those marked by violence often see similar behaviours manifest in their educational environments.

“In such cases, learner may bring dangerous items like knives, machetes, or even firearms to school. Moreover, communities plagued by easy access to drugs and widespread substance abuse inevitably affect our schools as well,” Chiloane said.

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Blame the parents

Chiloane explained that while schools themselves were not necessarily high-risk, factors such as gangsterism, illegal drug trade and the accessibility of weapons in surrounding areas contributed to the department’s findings.

“The Department of Education in Gauteng’s focus is on teaching and learning.  For this to happen, the department must and will create a conducive environment.  However, when the department’s plans continue to be interrupted by incidents of crime, bullying, gangsterism, vandalism, drug, and alcohol abuse.  

“We have picked up fights of gangs, and I still say I blame the parents because they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, taking a keen interest in their children when they are coming to school. Even when there is a parents meeting, the majority of them don’t come,” Chiloane said.

Interventions

Chiloane further criticised the ‘adopt-a-cop’ initiative, saying that police were not fulfilling their roles effectively.

“We have done quite a number of interventions just to keep our schools safe; firstly, the adopt-a-cop programme – is not working because police are not doing their work in that programme. It’s a good program. We want it to work. We need this program, but it’s not there because the police are not doing what they are supposed to do.”

While Chiloane said there must be advocation for a stronger police presence and school collaboration through local government channels, he applauded private security personnel at schools for a good job.

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