Question NW2409 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
11 December 2010 - NW2409
Ngcobo, Mr S to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1) Whether, given that in recent weeks videos and images have been shared on social media of learners engaging in acts of bullying and intimidation and the fact that learner-on-learner bullying has physical and psychological elements that affect the victim and the perpetrator, and given that her department has encouraged schools to adopt codes of conduct that emphasise preventive disciplining when it concerns bullying and intimidation, her department had devised protocols to investigate incidents of bullying as cases of learner-on-learner bullying become increasingly widespread; if not, why not; if so, has she found that the specified protocols involve offering psychological support to (a) victims and (b) perpetrators; (2) whether her department has undertaken investigations into learner-on-learner bullying; if not, why not; if so, what total number of the specified cases have resulted in learners being (a) suspended and/or (b) expelled from schools?
Reply:
There are endemic risks to using technology; and e-safety education is pivotal in ensuring that learners, teachers and also parent / care-givers are fully equipped to anticipate potential harmful practices and to mitigate the same. The Department of Basic Education has developed Guidelines on e-Safety in Schools to educate learners towards responsible, accountable and ethical use of ICT in education. The Guidelines on e-Safety in Schools provided have been distributed to all the Districts and Schools in support of SGBs and School Safety Committees to address incidents of ICT misuse, including prevention of bullying, and cyberbullying in particular.
The Department of Basic Education also rolled-out bullying prevention campaigns in support of districts to manage school violence including bullying and cyberbullying. The Safety Coordinators in Districts are responsible for supporting School Governing Bodies and their Disciplinary Committees regarding daily occurrences of violence in schools.
District Psycho-Social Support Teams are responsible for the training and supporting the School-based Support Teams (SBSTs) to provide psycho-social support to learners experiencing physical and psychological effects arising from intimidation and bullying perpetrated by other learners,.