Question NW3907 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

The steps that the Department has taken to ensure the safety and security of teachers and learners within the confines of the schools are:

1. The  Department developed the National School Safety Framework  to assist schools in dealing and managing incidents of crime and violence, furthermore, it contains tools that assess physical security (safety audits) and learner safety surveys.
2. The Department  further developed  the protocol that deals with incidents of corporal punishment and the Protocol for the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in Schools. 
3. The Department signed a collaborative protocol with the South African Police Service to manage school-based crime prevention programmes. 
4. The Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC) assist in bringing parents and social partners to address the challenges faced by schools.
5. All schools must have a learner code of conduct that each learner and their parent should sign.
6. All schools must develop safety plans based on the audits conducted.