Education:

2.         I would interpret “attacked” as physical assault, in which case please see below the number of cases reported to Safe Schools Call Centre January - July 2018

 

Total number of cases: Attacks on Learners (on school premises): Jan-July 2018
Physical Abuse (Corporal Punishment)	Crime Assault	Crime Robbery	Totals
23	248	13	284

 

Total number of cases: Attacks on Educators (on school premises): Jan-July 2018
Crime Assault	Crime Robbery	Totals
53	6	59

 

The Western Cape Government’s Strategic Goal 2 is to Improve Education Outcomes and Opportunities for Youth. Safety, security & non-violence are critical requirements for the achievement of the WCED educational outcomes. 

The WCED has effective 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 an accountable school management

·         giving learners a voice within the appropriate structures in the school, as learners need to be part of the solution

·         building transparency and trust among learners, staff, the community and the school

·         building a human rights culture in schools to make everyone feel welcome

All attempts to curb violence occurring in schools have to extend beyond the school itself. Parental and community support, including prevention and early intervention, are the most reliable and cost-effective ways to support school safety.

Workshops/training/programmes have been held on the following:

·      National School Safety Framework

·      Occupational, Health and Safety

·      Anti-bullying

·      Creative & Constructive Approaches to Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation

·      Substance Abuse and training on the use of non-invasive drug testing

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The WCED also adopts a target hardening approach in securing the property and assets of the school using the layered approach by providing perimeter fencing with restricted electronic access, burglar bars, metal detectors, and monitored alarm systems linked to an armed response service, within the available budget.  We are also taking steps to ensure that schools implement access control policies effectively and spend some of their norms and standards funding on maintenance and security.  

WCED Safe Schools engages with School Safety Clusters regularly within education districts where cluster support needs are discussed and addressed. 

The School Safety Committee is a sub-committee of the School Governing Body (SGB) and thus the SGB training includes matters pertaining to School Safety.

The protocol signed between the Department of Basic Education and the South African Police Service to reduce crime and violence in schools comes with its own challenges, particularly that which is resource driven.  A working team between the WCED, Department of Community Safety: Watching Brief Unit and the National Prosecuting Authority has been developed to draft a victim impact statement and witness testimony support structure with the purpose of ensuring appropriate support to witnesses and fast tracking the SAPS Cases which involve school crime.

New Strategies Implemented and in the process of being implemented:

·      ProvJoints: Gang Strategy; Safety at Schools Priority

·      PELRC: Safety at Schools Task Team

·      National School Safety Framework; Provincial School Safety Framework

·      Strengthening structures: Safety Committees and Clusters, CPF, NHW, SAPS Protocol

·      After School Programme Facilitators

·      Resilience Scorecard – Risk Self-Assessment Tool (RSAT)

·      Walking School Bus

·      School Resource & Neighbourhood Safety Officers

·      Watching Brief

• Transport Management Centre link

The WCED supports the call for a holistic and integrated plan to combat crime and violence, and for the proper resourcing of SAPS in the Western Cape, which is the most under-resourced province in the country.  

All schools are encouraged to develop their school and cluster safety committees in order to ensure a sustainable integrated implementation of safety plans at school level.  The issues of safety cannot be limited to one or other department but we must take collective responsibility, follow a whole of society approach, for the security and safety in our communities, just as we share responsibility for education with other relevant departments.  No one acts in isolation.

We must all strive and play an active part in building peace as well as safe and caring schools and thereby contributing to the transformation of our communities, together we will achieve safe and effective schools throughout the Western Cape.