Question NW2900 to the Minister of Basic Education
24 August 2015 - NW2900
Boshoff, Ms SH to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1)Whether incidents of (a) violence, including sexual violence and (b) theft occurring in school hostels are documented; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant statistics; (2) what steps has she taken to protect the safety of learners living in hostels? NW3380E
Reply:
- The South African Schools Act of 1996 (Act No 84 of 1996) makes provision for all schools to document and report incidents of (a) violence, including sexual violence, and (b) theft occurring in both schools and school hostels.
- Guidelines for the provisioning of boarding facilities in public ordinary schools have been developed and distributed to all provinces. The principles underpinning the guidelines emanate from the National Policy on an Equitable Provisioning of an Enabling School Physical Teaching and Learning Environment. The management of boarding facilities is the responsibility of the School Governing Body (SGB). The Guidelines are clear in terms of taking care of the overall safety of learners.