The Gauteng Department of Education has launched a safety programme called "Operation Kgutla Molao", at 1700 Gauteng schools, including 275 schools which have been classified as high-risk.
This comes as school violence becomes more and more common. Gauteng schools have seen stabbings, violence and gangsterism in and around schools.
This programme aims to make sure that schools are stable, peaceful and disruption-free. Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, said the programme will work to protect learners and safeguarding their future.
We are here to ensure that we are going to protect your future with you. Today we are launching a school safety programme that we will be running across our schools in the province.
Chiloane continued to say that school safety is a top priority in education. Through this programme, they aim to teach learners how to work together and live together in harmony as it's skill they would need in the future.
The programme will see regular random search and seizures being done at schools, as it's been found that some learners carry weapons, drugs and alcohol with them to school.
With integrated support from various law enforcement and community safety structures, we will be able to diminish acts of misconduct and pave way to focus on providing effective learning and teaching at schools across the province.
"We have developed Operation Kgutla Molao to safeguard the wellbeing and future of learners from destructive behaviour and social ills," said Chiloane.
What is being done under Operation Kgutla Molao?
- 5 000 patrollers will be deployed to schools in the townships to assist with access control
- Should learners be involved in violence and/or sexual harassment, they will be suspended.
- Learners will face disciplinary action by the school and those who are apprehended by the police will face trial.
- Disciplinary action will be taken against educators and non-education staff alleged to be involved in sexual harassment and/or violence and also face trial.
- Swift intervention by the MEC and GDE officials to understand the causes of this behavior, as well as the implementation of corrective action.
- Regular reporting of threats and incidents to law enforcement agencies, especially the South African Police Services.
- Meeting with community stakeholders on issues of school safety and protests that also disrupt learning and education.
On concerns about the changes taking away the innocence of schools, Chiloane says, "We don't intend to turn our schools into military camps ... we want to deter those activities".
The department wants to bring stability, especially to the 275 high-risk schools, to ensure teaching and learning continues without any disruption. The programme will be in place until schools are in a stable state.
The key strategy is to not only involve law enforcement but also the community and parents. The department will also do work to support and reform those learners who are found with weapons and substances as Chiloane says learners' home environments are one of the main reasons behind school violence.
Increased Violence At Schools Raises Concerns
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) spokesperson on teacher and learner violence in schools, Nomusa Cembi says that violence has definitely been on the rise in schools across several provinces with incidents being reported very week.
She stressed that the issue has become so severe that some teachers have contemplated leaving the teaching profession, whilst most have requested to move to other schools where these incidents are not prevalent.
Cembi explains that violence in schools manifests in many ways. It often includes threats, physical violence, harassments, bullying as well as sexual assault.
Lately we have been seeing physical violence from the community, parents as well as criminals coming into schools and robbing and harassing teaches.
She continues, “It comes in many forms, its not only learners but parents and criminals have also come onto schools to violate teachers.”
