Education

My department has informed me of the following:

(1)    (a)    School safety is managed by the WCED in conjunction with other     government departments such as the Department of Community Safety 
(DoCS), SAPS, and City of Cape Town Law (CoCT) Enforcement.

The WCED (Safe Schools) advocates for an evidence-based approach that focuses on prevention and intervention methods, and suitable policies to address school safety in different situations, applying a three-pronged strategy: 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMES, whereby we alter or protect the physical structure of the school through targeted hardening strategies i.e. building security – alarms linked to armed response, access gates, mesh wire, razor wire, signs, etc. After the district offices conduct audits, limited support is provided to schools by the respective office. The programme does not fund CCTV.

BEHAVIOURAL PROGRAMMES, whereby we are able to support, modify or influence parent, educator or learner behaviour at school and in the surrounding community through conflict management, trauma counselling, behaviour modification, a human rights curriculum, interventions for learners at risk, peer counselling programmes, entrepreneurial training, and sport and cultural activities.

SYSTEMS PROGRAMMES, which involve system-wide changes in the content or operation of the school, through leadership and management training, organizational development training, community relations, effective governance, curriculum innovation, identifying and assisting learners at risk.

In alignment with the three-pronged strategy, there are standard measures and structures that need to be in place for a school to address any incident that may occur which is a threat to teaching and learning and the safety of all persons at the school. 

After the school Safety Committee has completed an audit, we also support (where possible based on available funding and prioritising the highest risk schools) the school with security mechanisms such as security gates, burglar bars, stone guards, and fencing. All schools are expected to have an alarm linked to armed response. 

Other pro-active measures include the deployment of holiday security at specific high-risk schools, and the deployment of emergency security to specific schools for short periods when necessary to assist in the stabilisation of the school environment.

Schools are also encouraged to forge partnerships with their local neighbourhood watch, Community Policing Forum, and the general community surrounding the school. Schools are encouraged to liaise with their local police station to do periodic patrols. Armed response companies are also requested to do more frequent patrols, as we believe that visibility of law enforcement is a good deterrent to would-be vandals and burglars.

The WCED has also put in place the following preventative strategies to address school violence, which include the following:
•    building relationships between the parents, the learners and the broader community within which schools are located; and involving the local community in the school which includes during holiday and after school programmes;
•    training teachers, parents and learners to identify aggressive learners;
•    giving schools access to school social workers and educational psychologists to provide psycho-social support;
•    having accountable school management;
•    giving learners a voice within the appropriate structures in the school, as learners need to be part of the solution; and
•    building transparency and trust among learners, staff, the community and the school, building a human rights culture in schools to make everyone feel welcome.

The WCED Transform to Perform Strategy has a Values in Education programme that has been implemented in schools. Schools have been asked to choose 12 values for each month of the year and to explain, talk, show and live these values. These values include respect for one another, kindness, caring etc. Schools are to have ongoing discussions with learners on values and to undertake in various initiatives that showcase them. Many of our principals have reported a decline in learner bullying, for example, as a result of this programme, as they are being taught how to respect and consider one another and their feelings.

The Safe Schools Co-ordinator assisted by the Safe Schools Fieldworkers do continuous monitoring and evaluation of schools, to ensure that Safety Committees are functional and that schools are implementing all the necessary policies. They also ensure that the school staff and learners are trained and understand their role and responsibilities as well as what the role of the district office and head office in responding to any school incident.

The Safe Schools Call Centre also plays an important role in supporting schools in the management of all school incidents. Schools can access the Call Centre on a toll-free number, 0800 45 46 47. The Call Centre, depending on the nature of the call, will ensure that the school is supported by the relevant emergency agency, and receives information about psycho-social support. 

The WCED has had intensified discussions with the SAPS at provincial and local station level regarding school safety (more frequent and senior engagements). The WCED has also engaged the CoCT (Metro and Law Enforcement) for support before school starts and when schools dismiss at the end of the school day. Law enforcement agencies have also increased their visibility through increased patrols. 

Search and seizure exercises supported by the SAPS and Law Enforcement are performed at school level where it is necessary. 

School Safety Committees and School Governing Bodies (SGBs), which include the learner component in high schools, receive training in Occupational Health and Safety. This includes training in first aid and firefighting as well as the development of Safety/ Evacuation Plans. Workshops/training/programmes have been held on the following:
•    National School Safety Framework (NSSF);
•    Occupational health and safety;
•    Anti-bullying;
•    Creative and constructive approaches to conflict resolution and peer mediation;
•    Substance abuse and training on the use of non-invasive drug testing;
•    School Safety Committee; and
•    Youth development.

The WCED is currently working within the ProvJoints: Priority Committee on School Safety (PPCSS) to develop a behaviour change campaign to create awareness among all stakeholders. The PPCSS functions within its mandate to address the safety and security challenges at schools collaboratively within all Western Cape Government departments. The PPCSS has approved an electronic Self Risk Assessment tool to be completed by schools, which was developed with the aim to classify schools according their risk rating (high, medium, and low).

The School Safety Operational Forum, which is a sub-committee of the PJPCSS, is responsible for coordinating the management and implementation of all school safety strategies in consultation with all the stakeholders and reports to the ProvJoints School Safety Priority meeting. The SAPS Provincial Vispol Office (Safer Schools Coordinator) is responsible for fast tracking the SAPS Cases which involve school crime.

(b)    School Resource Officers (SROs) fall within the municipal jurisdiction of the CoCT, and are deployed at 14 schools. 34 permanent Law Enforcement Officers and 5 supervisors have been allocated to the SRO project.

The schools that benefit from the programme are:
 

          (c)       There are currently no plans to deploy school resource officers at all schools in the province. Neither the WCED, nor the CoCT, have the financial resources to support such a large deployment.

(2)       (a)       There are no LEAP officers deployed to schools.

           (b)       There are currently no plans to deploy LEAP officers in schools, as they perform an alternative function within communities by assisting SAPS and the Metro Police policing functions. This also           benefits the protection of our schools.