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2018-09-18 23:20:48 +0200
To: Minister Angie Motshekga, Department of Basic Education
Minister Motshekga, we need an urgent plan for learner + teacher safety
We call on the South African Department of Basic Education to release to the public an urgent plan to deal with safety of learners and teachers in our schools, including allocating budget to hire trained security guards to assist schools in improving safety.
Long term, we call on your to develop a clear plan to work with the Minister of Police to ensure there are enough police to support schools in being weapon free and having an ongoing police presence. The Department of Basic Education must also ensure all Principals are ensuring there is a School Safety Office and functioning School Safety Committee who are resourced and carrying out searches and seizures as per section 4(3) of GG No. 22754 of October 2001 of the Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools.
Principals and the Department must consult all community members and school staff on way forward through community and school meetings/imbizos as a matter of urgency.
Long term, we call on your to develop a clear plan to work with the Minister of Police to ensure there are enough police to support schools in being weapon free and having an ongoing police presence. The Department of Basic Education must also ensure all Principals are ensuring there is a School Safety Office and functioning School Safety Committee who are resourced and carrying out searches and seizures as per section 4(3) of GG No. 22754 of October 2001 of the Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools.
Principals and the Department must consult all community members and school staff on way forward through community and school meetings/imbizos as a matter of urgency.
Why is this important?
The department has always been reactive to only cases which make it to media while ignoring all the cases that have been reported to them. The recent incidents are very concerning [1], and solutions to this issue exist and have also been proposed [2].
The Department of Basic Education have ignored the pleas of parents and teachers for too long while they act like they care in front of cameras. We can no longer sit and watch as the education of our future generations gets ruined. Unless we act now we will never be able to stop this elephant ever again. This is the only language our government understands. Learners have died, teachers have died, what more must happen before there is real action?
[1] https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-09-13-zeerust-high-school-pupil-arrested-for-stabbing-his-teacher-to-death/
[2] https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-08-28-school-violence-how-can-we-make-the-classroom-a-safe-haven-for-learning/
The Department of Basic Education have ignored the pleas of parents and teachers for too long while they act like they care in front of cameras. We can no longer sit and watch as the education of our future generations gets ruined. Unless we act now we will never be able to stop this elephant ever again. This is the only language our government understands. Learners have died, teachers have died, what more must happen before there is real action?
[1] https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-09-13-zeerust-high-school-pupil-arrested-for-stabbing-his-teacher-to-death/
[2] https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-08-28-school-violence-how-can-we-make-the-classroom-a-safe-haven-for-learning/