Community Safety
With regard to media reports (IOL) on 2 April 2021 about the discovery of a 17-year-old girl’s body near a farm in Groot Drakenstein in Paarl:
(1) What is the number of deaths that have been recorded of learners walking to and from school in the province in (i) 2014, (ii) 2015, (iii) 2016, (iv) 2017, (v) 2018, (vi) 2019, (vii) 2020 and (viii) 2021;
(2) whether children walking for 5 km to a learner transport pick-up point and/or to school poses a risk to their lives; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) what measures have been put in place to improve the safety of learners who walk to school or to bus pick-up points, particularly in rural communities?
The Western Cape Education Department informed me as follows:
(1) (i) The WCED does not have a record of the number of deaths of learners walking to and from school.
(ii) Same as above.
(iii) Same as above.
(iv) Same as above.
(v) Same as above.
(vi) Same as above.
(vii) Same as above.
(viii) Same as above.
(2) (a) The Western Cape Education Department transport all learners living over 5km from their school. The WCED has not received any reports of learners walking 5km to a pick up point over the past 10 years.
Schools and relevant Education District officials consider the distances that learners must walk to pick up points before submitting a learner transport application.
Schools should report instances where learners walk longer distances to pick up points due to relocation, to Education Districts to review the applicable existing pick up point/s. Schools can make applications for additional pick up points or ask to amend the location of the existing pick up point/s.
Parents need to inform school principals without delay of instances where learners walk 5 kilometres to a pick-up point.
(b) Schools and the WCED are involved in various initiatives to ensure road safety around schools, in collaboration with local authorities and other agencies.
Road safety forms part of the Life Skills curriculum.
The Grade R curriculum warns children about dangerous places to play, including roads.
Topics under Road Safety in Grade 2 include rules for road safety, pedestrians, cyclists and passengers, road signs for pedestrians and cyclists, scholar patrols and how traffic officials help us.
In Grade 3 “Safety in public areas” includes the topics: dangerous places to play, such as roads, and safe travel on taxi and trains.
The Grade 4 curriculum teaches traffic rules relevant to pedestrians and cyclists, and safety on trains.
Life Orientation in Grade 11 covers all types of accidents, including road accidents. This curriculum covers knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours concerning accidents, and related emotional issues.
