Question NW2836 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

1. The Honourable Member should know that our intervention regarding safety and security at schools are not localised, but are national.  The National School Safety Framework (NSSF) remains our primary strategic response to school violence. It is a  comprehensive approach that coordinates and consolidates all school safety interventions in the sector.  The NSSF is based on a social ecological systems model which locates the school within its broader community.  It relies on collaboration and partnership for more coordinated approach to responding to school violence. 

2.The Department of Basic Education, through the School Safety Directorate has established a platform (What-App Group) for ongoing mentoring of schools. 

3. The Department of Basic education through School Safety Committees and Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC) is mobilising communities, including Mopani District communities towards ownership of schools as community centres and future plans include a move towards encouraging communities towards mobilizing the alumni to adopt the schools which they previously attended that contributed to their education foundation to rekindle the love of education by both the youth and the communities

4. The  Department rolled out Bullying Prevention and Positive Discipline programmes in all Limpopo Education Districts, including Mopani District partnership with Active Education to address incidences of violence, homophobic bullying and cyber-bullying in particular.

5. Safety Committees at local levels and QLTC constantly run campaign to encourages the community participation to foster common identity and building social cohesion and make schools centres of our heritage

6. Communities are encouraged to protect the schools from criminal elements by participating in Community Policing Forums (CPFs), through the existing DBE Protocol Partnership with the South African Police Service (SAPS).