While the Gauteng Department of Education focuses on teaching and learning, the department says these plans continue to be disrupted by incidents of crime, bullying, gangsterism, vandalism, drug and alcohol abuse.

Speaking during Ekurhuleni’s school safety imbizo in Tsakane on Saturday, Matome Chiloane, the Gauteng director of education, said these incidents have a negative impact on teaching and learning.

The community-driven conversations during izimbizo aim to address critical security issues, while strengthening collaboration between local stakeholders, faculty and students.

The first imbizo was held earlier in November in Kliptown, Soweto, where the department discussed several safety issues and called for strong partnerships between schools and parents

– To curb these incidents, the department has taken various measures. These include safe access to schools, search and seizure, deployment of security guards, recruitment and deployment of patrols, and cooperation with community structures and law enforcement agencies.

“However, despite these interventions, I continue to receive reports – indeed – disturbing reports of violence, bullying, arson, vandalism and several other reports,” Chiloane said.

Speaking to parents, students and community members in Tsakane, Chiloane said they have identified about 55 high-risk schools in the region, where some of these incidents are taking place.

He said that there are gang groups within the schools, with names such as Boofs, Gailos, Nkabination and Amabutho and more.

Chiloane said they have also identified problems with ongoing conflicts between school governing bodies and local communities over self-build projects; and increasing fights are reported among students, requiring immediate attention, and substance abuse challenges.

The MEC emphasized that it is important to recognize that schools are reflections of the communities that surround them, and what happens in those communities inevitably affects what happens within schools.

He said peaceful societies tend to promote safe schools, while those marked by violence often see similar behaviors manifest in their educational environments. In such cases, he said, students may bring dangerous items such as knives, machetes and even firearms to school.

“It is against this background that we must develop strategies to protect our schools from the social challenges affecting our communities. We must recognize that issues such as violence and abuse cannot coexist with a healthy, conducive environment for learning and teaching.

“Today as we gather here to identify the challenges, we need to think creatively with the same vigor to come up with permanent and lasting solutions to these challenges,” Chiloane said.

The MEC told the gathering that there are intervention strategies in place, which include parental and community engagement, safety training and education and awareness programmes.

Food poisoning incidents

In recent weeks, the department and school community have been deeply affected by tragic food poisoning incidents, which have left several children dead.

The MEC said a student from Dumezweni Primary School passed away, along with two others in intensive care, while he was preparing his report.

As a result, he said the department must act in the best interest of teachers by temporarily suspending the sale of food. But they were also aware of the potential negative impact on informal traders and small businesses. The department has now lifted the ban.

The MEC stressed that all traders and businesses must ensure that the food they sell is safe for consumption, and also secure the necessary permits from municipal offices.

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Chiloane also urged traders to avoid selling repackaged or expired food – both perishable and non-perishable items.

“The department has issued a memo as well as regulations, guidelines and standard procedures that must be followed. These documents are critical to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and should be consulted regularly. This issue is about student safety, he says. – SAnews.gov.za