The Gauteng Education Department (GDE) has outlined major steps towards addressing the high rate of learner suicides in the province, as well as safeguarding the well-being of learners.
The department’s statistics show that there have been 40 alleged incidents of suicides in Gauteng schools since the beginning of the 2023 academic year.
According to the department, the most recent incident occurred on September 8 when an 11-year-old Grade Five girl from Anzac Primary School took her own life.
“As the department, we are devastated by these deaths and believe those numbers constitute far too many young lives that have been taken away from their families, friends and our schools, before reaching their full potential,” said Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane.
“We pledge our solidarity and support to the families and friends that were befallen by these tragic, premature deaths.”
The GDE is aware that the deaths have had a massive psychological impact on learners, teachers and the greater schooling community.
“It is, therefore, imperative that, in the immediate, we provide support to those affected and, in the long-term, we respond with lasting solutions which can help turn the situation around,” said Chiloane.
Reducing stigma, breaking taboos, and supporting learners who are struggling are important first steps for talking about suicide.
Ongoing support, building resilience, promoting meaningful social connections, creating safe spaces in schools, encouraging disclosure, and facilitating referral for further professional support are mechanisms that can be implemented to assist learners in taking proactive steps for their mental wellness.
Suicide prevention and self-harm education, increased awareness of protective factors, streamlined support systems and access to services and resources could decrease the likelihood of learner suicides in schools.
The GDE has reached out to the Gauteng Department of Health to undertake a mortality analysis on cases of suicide to understand the causes and drivers of these incidents. The health department is currently conducting the assessments.
GDE’s learner suicide prevention interventions:
• Deploying 500 learner support agents (LSAs) to provide an early warning mechanism and give peer counselling to support 1 200 schools.
• Sending an additional 120 social workers to assist with risk assessment of learners.
• Deploying 500 Ke Moja coaches to assist with substance abuse awareness.
• Popularising the Childline toll-free number (116) to provide counselling services free of charge for learners and educators.
The GDE has also partnered with the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG), the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), Childline, the Teddy Bear Foundation and the National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers, to help learners and educators deal with the psychological challenges which may lead to suicide or suicidal thoughts.
SADAG has already received numerous requests for assistance from some of the schools which have experienced incidents of suicides or attempted suicides.
The GDE and SADAG will, in the coming weeks, be visiting schools to raise awareness about the causes of suicide and how to prevent suicide.
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“Our messages will not only be targeting learners, but we will also be speaking to parents, guardians, and caregivers so that they are aware of the warning signs,” said Chiloane.
“Our talks with learners and their parents will also focus on debunking common suicide myths, raising awareness about the kind of language to use when referring to suicides, and general advice on dealing with people displaying suicidal signs.”
The department is also concerned about the incidents of violence in and around schools driven by gangsters in some areas.
It has adopted a campaign dubbed Operation Kgutla Molao – Restore Order to improve and sharpen existing strategies and urgently tackle safety concerns in schools that have been affected by violence and crime.
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Some of the actions to be implemented to improve school safety and learner wellbeing are the deployment of security guards to 75 schools across Gauteng, the distribution of e-panic buttons and CCTV cameras to be installed at 90 schools.
To ensure safety at schools, members of the community are urged to call the GDE call centre on 0800 000 789 to report any suspected acts of burglary, arson, violence, learner truancy or any safety-related incidents.
Alternatively, send a WhatsApp message to 060 891 0361 or use the department’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Any learner feeling sad, overwhelmed and in need of support is urged to call Childline on 116. This Childline number is managed by trained social workers and psychologists. The number for SADAG’s Suicide Crisis Helpline is 0800 567 567.
