Education
(1) Whether a recent video of school-going children consuming alcohol on school premises and mentioning the intent of smoking cannabis has been brought to her attention; if so, (a) what is the name of the school, (b) what is the age range of the learners, (c) what action has been taken by her Department and (d) what psycho-social support does her Department deploy in these cases;
(2) what programmes does her Department have in place to capacitate teachers to deal with such destructive behaviour and to ensure that it does not fester in schools
(1) Yes, I am aware of the video.
(a) Lückhoff High School
(b) 15 – 16 years old
(c) The School Governing Body has held a disciplinary hearing and the learners have been found guilty for possession and use of alcohol on school grounds.
The learners were suspended until 7 March 2022 and are to participate in a number of counselling and other activities that address negative behaviour and substance abuse.
The school has engaged with the WCED district social worker regarding future interventions for the school and the affected learners.
(d) Each district has a psychosocial support team to provide assistance in these circumstances, in partnership with schools, other government departments and NGOs.
In this instance, the district school social worker is counselling the learners. They have also enlisted the assistance of “Community Keepers” – a local NGO which includes a group of counsellors and psychologists.
(2) In terms of teachers, each district has a specialised support team which provides training and workshops on identifying and managing these and other behavioural issues, in cooperation with SAPS, other government departments, and NGOs. Early intervention is key to ensuring that learner behaviour is successfully addressed through the appropriate referral pathways. Any teacher, learner or parent can contact the Safe Schools Hotline (0800 45 46 47) for assistance with behavioural issue.
(This is in addition to the extensive work done directly with learners and parents on the topic.)
