The department of social development and Gauteng department of education met with local stakeholders and schools to find solutions to the current problems faced by schools.
This comes after it was mentioned by a resident at a Nthirisano meeting the state of Willow Crescent Secondary School.
It was decided among the departments and stakeholders that schools which need urgent intervention are Missouri Secondary School, Klipspruit West Secondary School and Willow Crescent Secondary school.
These are also schools who have some of the lowest matric pass rates in the area.
Some of the issues that were raised in the meetings are teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and discipline.
Interventions that will be brought forward are education on various Acts for schools, pupils and the community, awareness and prevention programmes, after-school academic support and academic excellence exit programmes.
The academic excellence exit programme and after-school academic support is designed for pupils to encourage and support them at school, while motivating them with funding, scholscholarships or internships when they pass matric.
Training and capacity building speaks to educating on rights where, once knowledgeable, community, schools and parents can hold those accountable who aren’t performing their duties.
If intervention is seen to be successful at the pilot schools, these programmes will be extended to other schools.
Principals and residents questioned the viability of the programmes as they have attended many such meetings and no progress was seen.
Stakeholders said they have decided to work with only a few schools as a pilot project and the success of it is also up to the community at large.
While each school comes with their unique problems, most of them are faced with drug abuse and selling on or around the premises.
Each school will be dealt with according to their challenges and constant enengagement and follow-ups will be done to ensure the success of the interventions.
