Education
- Whether the current fencing at schools meets the requirement of 1,8 m in height; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether all the schools have safety plans; if not, why not; if so,
- whether the safety plans are being implemented; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
10. My department has informed me of the following:
- All new fences installed at schools meets a minimum height requirement of 2.1 to 2.4 metres. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has prioritised the fencing of all schools that do not have an adequate fence.
We had committed to constructing secure fencing at 30 schools every year for five years, but will in fact reach that target of 150 schools over five years a full year ahead of schedule, completing fencing at the final 30 schools in this financial year!
Some schools have existing fences that might not meet the requirement of 1.8 metres, and these will be considered for replacement in future planning based on budget availability.
(2) All schools are required to have Comprehensive School Safety Plans. The districts are currently capturing information on our Provincial School Safety Checklist to determine which schools do not have the relevant plans, policies and procedures in place so that the relevant support can be provided.
As of the latest report provided by the WCED (28 February 2023), of the 1152 schools captured, 38 schools have indicated that they do not have a school safety plan.
(3) Please see above. Safe Schools is identifying the schools that do not have the relevant policies, plans and procedures in place so that we can provide support and training where necessary.
All public schools are in possession of the Procedural Manual - Managing Safety Security within WCED Institutions. Clause 1.4 speaks to the Nine Point Safe Schools Planning Process which must be implemented by schools to develop a community-orientated problem-solving culture. This planning process consists of 9 steps
- Establish a Safety Committee
- Make safety part of the school's vision
- Conduct a safety audit
- Set major objectives
- Develop a comprehensive safety plan and Education Continuity Plan
- Select and implement strategies
- Conduct an audit of service providers in the area
- Create cluster structures
- Evaluate and assess progress periodically as determined by the safety committee
The WCED has also issued Circular 4004/2020 titled ‘To ensure the effective implementation of the Nine Point Safe Schools Planning Process’ to assist schools.
Further to the above, Safe Schools has a Project Plan for School Safety Committee training which is conducted annually. A total of 860 schools across all districts will receive training around Safety Plans for the current financial year.
