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I would like to begin by thanking you all for actively taking steps
to respond to the challenge of safety in our schools. This is an
important initiative given the current concerns about safety in
schools and the various very worrying reports about incidents of
violence, crime and ill discipline in some of our schools.
It is necessary to stress that while the reports we see each week
are worrying, many of our schools are safe places where a positive
environment for learning has been created and supported by
teachers, learners and parents. Today, we must convey a clear
message and set of directives to all in our education system:
* fear and intimidation have no place in our schools
* schools are places of learning and learning cannot take place if
learners and teachers work
in conditions of violence and imminent threat * each one of us can
play a role in curbing negative conduct and making schools
safe.
All of us know today that hundreds of our schools have not escaped
the scourge of crime and violence that is a scar on the face of
many of our communities. The violence that is seen in our society
has now made its presence felt in our schools. We all need to
respond with vigour to deny violence a permanent place in
education. Education authorities cannot and will not allow crime to
become embedded in education. I am sure that all of you present
here to day would agree that that we must use all our energies to
confront this challenge. South Africans fought hard for freedom,
one of the benefits of democracy is the right to education. A child
who is maimed or killed cannot fully benefit from that benefit nor
can a teacher who is assaulted or abused.
We must not allow the negative features of some of our communities
to gain entry to our schools. Schools are the second most important
social institution for your people. They influence the life chances
of youth and shape their intellect and future character. Your
initiative is thus hugely important in that it serves as firm
recognition of the role those schools play. It is your confirmation
that you want to give young people a chance at success.
The co-operative approach you have adopted is extremely important.
Every member of the community in and outside school should support
the creation of safe school environments. When we celebrated the
first joy of freedom in 1994 we recognised this significant role of
schools.
The first Education White Paper of 1995 said the following about
the role that education should play in teaching our children our
democratic values of equality, dignity and respect:
“Education system must counter the legacy of violence by
providing the values underlining the democratic process and the
charter of fundamental rights, the importance of due process of law
and the exercise of civic responsibility and by teaching values and
skills for conflict management and conflict resolution, the
importance of mediation and the benefits of tolerance and
cooperation. Thus, peace and stability will become the normal
condition of our schools and colleagues and citizens will be
empowered to participate confidently and constructively in social
and civic lie.”
Reports that we receive indicate that negative threats to schools
come in a range of guises. Firstly, within the school there are
teachers and learners who carry weapons, threaten others and
generally render schools places of insecurity not places of
learning. Secondly, due to poor promotion of the skills of conflict
resolution for learners, they do not always know how to solve
quarrels without resorting to violence. Quarrels that begin in
school end up as murder or attempted murder outside the school,
college or university gates. As I stated earlier the schools where
these things happen are a mirror of our society, as you know many
of the murders in South Africa occur within social settings between
people who know each other or are acquainted. We all must ask
ourselves why we have allowed such negative conduct to infect or
society and our schools.
Thirdly, it seems gangsters, thieves and drug peddlers have made
schools their base of operation. During the day gang members loiter
at school fences to sell drugs and alcohol to our learners.
Our Community Police Forums must patrol our schools perimeters and
keep criminal elements away from our learners. In some communities
gangs carry their fights into schools and injure children and
teachers. Again parents, the police and the community must
collaborate to eliminate such incidents. A clear message must go
out as it does today that schools are safe places, places where the
future of South Africa is built places where we will not
countenance interference with that future.
Our teachers are a core part of the response that must come from
within education. In most communities teachers are the leading part
of the community. They can and should define the character of the
community. If teachers become leading agents of change in meeting
the objective we are here to agree on their attitude and
contribution will serve as a massive catalyst for change.
We must not allow the recent report of the Centre for Justice and
Crime Prevention shape our schools. It found worrying and rising
levels of youth crime.
The Education Department has begun to intensify its programmes
against violence and unsafe schools. The Department of Education
(DOE) and the Department of Safety and Security have developed a
resource manual “Signpost for Safer Schools” which is
intended to assist teachers in preventing and managing negative
conduct in schools. The manual encourages the creation of school
safety committees, which work closely with the police services.
Schools are encouraged to adopt a cop and to invite police
personnel to assist schools in creating safe environments.
Further steps include the partnership with the United Nations
Office on drugs and crime, the training of implementing agents in
all the provinces who will support the implementation of the Policy
Framework and Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Drug
Use/Abuse in Schools.
In partnership with the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention
systems of early detection and prevention have been developed.
Three provinces have piloted this approach (Eastern Cape, Limpopo
and Western Cape) and we intend to build on their experience in
order to maximally achieve safety in schools.
We have agreed on a set of measures as the various education
departments. Provincial authorities are giving increased attention
to all schools that have a safety problem. A school safety
framework is being finalised. We are conducting an audit of schools
that have incidents of violence and crime. Furthermore we are
identifying potential partners within and beyond local communities.
Business Against Crime has once again been very supportive of the
education departments.
The partnership we launch today will benefit all stakeholders in
our schools. I trust that all parents, learners, teachers and
community members will support this important initiative and assist
our schools in the Free State into becoming centres where learning
is strengthened and not places where young lives are destroyed. I
would like to conclude by thanking Business Against Crime for the
exemplary role they have played in the fight against crime in our
crime I am sure their partnership with education will support in
creating safer schools in South Africa. Issued by: Department of
Education
29 July 2006
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