The Department of Basic Education is advocating for the implementation of a school-based crime prevention programme, which will address sensitive topics such as gender-based violence, bullying, gangsterism, alcohol and drug abuse, and possession of weapons.
Speaking at the signing ceremony between the department and the South African Police Service on Tuesday in parliament, Minister Siviwe Gwarube told attendees that the initiative is needed because of the “shocking” crime trends in schools.
“The people of South Africa are outraged when they see these things happen in our schools,” she said.
While she acknowledged that the school crime statistics had dropped, the education minister was still concerned about the prevalence of violence in schools.
“One incident of violence in a school is just one too many. This is because behind each incident is a violation of a child’s right to education and dignity.
“Incidents of teachers raping learners, children as young as seven being raped in school toilets, images of gang fights among learners beamed around the country – these things have rightly angered our communities.”
Linking schools to police stations
Gwarube mentioned that there were 28 murders recorded at basic education institutions during the 2023/2024 financial year alone, half of which occurred in KwaZulu-Natal.
Two-thirds of rapes in schools involve learner-on-learner violence, and about 11 000 burglaries were recorded across schools in the same year, with stolen items ranging from critical teaching equipment to basic food items meant for the National School Nutrition Programme, according to Gwarube.
The minister advocates for linking all schools to local police stations and providing support through functional school safety committees to address any violent incidents.
She also mentioned the introduction of policing in hotspot areas, establishing victim-friendly rooms and community response forums, as well as an improved vetting system for teachers and staff in schools against the National Register Sexual Offences and Child Protection Register.
“The 7th administration of democratic South Africa, this government of national unity, has set out five national priorities for education; school safety is one of them.
“We cannot transform education or improve learning outcomes if learners and teachers feel unsafe,” she said.
