Question NW58 to the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

1. What are the full relevant details of any measures that have been put in place by her department recently to prevent acts of violence in schools?

 

a) School Safety District Support Intervention in Gauteng: Sedibeng East & West

The DBE in collaboration with Gauteng Department of Education implemented the School Safety District Support Intervention in Gauteng, Sedibeng East and West Districts from the 03 - 05th of June 2024. The intervention included Local Stakeholder engagement meeting comprising of partner departments, local municipality and civil society organisations, which was convened on the 03rd of June 2024. A total of 52 people participated in the meeting and stakeholders agreed to plan and implement school safety related programmes jointly in Sedibeng schools.

On 04-05 June 2024, the DBE convened a workshop at Quest Conference Estate in Vanderbijlpark, which covered the National School Safety Framework (NSSF), the Protocol on the Reporting and Management of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in schools, the Policy on the prevention and management of Learner Pregnancy, The Prevention and Management of Bullying in schools, including cyberbullying, Psychosocial Support Programme, as well as the Procedures of Learner Discipline in schools and Disaster Risk Management. On day one, a total of 184 people (School principals, SGB members and School Safety Officers) attended the workshop, and on day two, a total of 188 people (School principals, SGB members and School Safety Officers) people from 52 schools and partner departments also attended the workshop.

b) Partnership Protocol between the Department of Basic Education and the South African Police Service

The Department also has an established Protocol with SAPS to address crime and violence in schools. The Protocol has enabled all schools to be linked to their local police stations, SAPS conduct searches and seizures in schools and conduct crime awareness campaigns in schools. Regularly, schools work with SAPS and local community police forums and social workers to address violent incidents such as gangsterism, bullying, drug abuse and the carrying of dangerous weapons in schools in schools.

Constantly, searches and seizures of illegal drugs and dangerous weapons are done in schools.  However, these searches and seizers are only done if there is reasonable suspicion of violence in the school.

c) Online Safety and Cyberbullying Programme: Cyber-Safety Toolkit

The DBE in partnership with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, as well as the Provincial Education Departments in Limpopo and Gauteng conducted awareness sessions on cyber-safety and cyberbullying in schools. These awareness sessions took place at Wordsworth High School, Gauteng Province  on the 10th  of April 2024, and also at Bela-Bela Secondary School and Mapoe Secondary School Limpopo Province on the 18th  of April 2024. The awareness sessions were anchored around the Cyber-Safety Awareness Toolkit. A total of 300 learners were reached throughout the awareness sessions.

d) District Monitoring of School Safety Programmes

Recently, the DBE monitored the implementation of the NSSF and other school safety programmes in 10 districts across three provinces: Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng) within the first quarter of the financial year, April to June 2024.

 

The table below indicates the number districts monitored per provinces:

Province	District Name	Dates
Eastern Cape	Amathole West	20 May 2024
	Amathole East	21 May 2024
	OR Tambo Coastal	22 May 2024
	Joe Gqabi	24 May 2024
Gauteng	Tshwane South	30 May 2024
	Tshwane North	30 May 2024
	Tshwane West	31 May 2024
Western Cape	Eden & Central Karoo	10 June 2024
	Overberg	12 June 2024
	Cape Winelands	13 June 2024

 

e) Disaster Risk Management Assessment Tool 

In June 2024, the team comprising of DBE, National Disaster Risk Management Centre and SANTAM with the Northern Cape Education Department assessed eight public special schools in the Northern Cape province. Upon completion of the assessments, SANTAM Insurance donated Fire Systems and extinguishers in the schools including upgrade of the hydrants in some schools.

f) PROVINCIAL INITIATIVES

• Gauteng Education Department has deployed 5 387 school patrollers and security guards to 75 schools.
• The Western Cape Education Department has deployed 90 School Resource Officers to 45 schools
• Eastern Cape has deployed 262 Security Assistants in 131 schools in Nelson Mandela Bay, 156 Security Guards in Buffalo City, OR Tambo Inland- 262 Security Guards in 131 schools.
• The North-West Education Department had deployed security guards in 32 special schools, 11 Mega farm schools and four technical schools.
• KZN Circular 53 of 2024 was issued encouraging schools to re-establish School Safety Committees and to link all of them with Police Stations post the completion of SGB Elections.

 

2. Whether there is any cogent policy in place that deals with the issue of safety and security in schools; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? 

a) Regulations for Safety Measures at all Public Schools 2001

The Department has the Regulations for Safety Measures at all Public Schools 2001 in place as means to ensure that schools are safe learning environments. The regulations have declared that all schools are alcohol and drug free zones, thus no persons may enter school premises under the influence of alcohol and illicit drugs , or in possession of dangerous weapons. In addition, the Regulations also allow principals, police officers and delegated officers to conduct searches and seizures of illicit drugs and dangerous weapons, if there is reasonable suspicion.

 

b) Policy Framework for the Regulations of Drug Abuse by learners in Public Schools   and  Public Further Education and Training Institutions 2002

In supporting the regulations on safety measures , the Department further introduced the   Policy Framework for the Regulations of Drug Abuse by learners in Public Schools and  Public Further Education and Training Institutions 2002, which advocates for preventative methods on alcohol and drug abuse to be implemented through the introduction of Life Orientation Curricula, and also for support and care to be provided to addicted learners so that they can be rehabilitated. The policy framework further make provision for drug testing in schools to be conducted in schools, but only if there is reasonable suspicion.

 c) National School Safety Framework

The DBE has also developed the NSSF which is a guiding framework in addressing all forms of violent incidences in schools. The NSSF empowers schools to identify and manage all safety threats in schools, establish school safety committees comprising of stakeholders such as teachers, police officers, school governing body members and learner representative council members. Furthermore, The NSSF also empowers schools to develop incident reporting mechanisms, establish collaborations with external stakeholders such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Social Development and civil society organisations, develop school safety plans and policies to respond to safety challenges of drug abuse in schools.

Through the implementation of the NSSF, access control measures in schools are strengthened and awareness programmes on social ills by partner departments and civil society organisations are implemented in schools.

The DBE together with its partner the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute further developed an NSSF digital training course for school communities, to enable them to access the training anywhere in the country. The course has been accredited by the South African Council of Educators. As a result, educators receive 15 Professional Development Points (PDP) for successfully completing the course. From April 2023 to March 2024, 80 700 people completed the course (officials, school safety officers, School Governing Body Members).