T Mhlahlo: Safer Schools Summit

30 August 2007

"School Safety, a societal responsibility"

Honourable MEC for Education
Honourable Members of Parliament (MPLs)
Councillors
Members of School Governing Bodies
Learners
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

It is indeed a highly appreciated occasion, where all of us as various
stakeholders, meet to discuss what is close to our hearts - education and
future of our children. Let me first take this opportunity to express my
sincere gratitude for your attendance, which clearly demonstrates your
realisation of the value of education in our society and your commitment to the
opening of doors of learning and culture to all.

This is an assertion that we had made more than 50 years ago and we remain
committed to achieve a situation, where our children enjoy their space under
the new democratic order. The provincial government has elevated the Promotion
of School Safety Programme and presented it as one of the High Impact Priority
Projects, which is mainly based on the mobilisation of communities against
crime.

There are legislative instruments that provide us with a muscle to realise
our objective. International human rights law and South African law guarantee
children the right to education and forbid discrimination in the realisation of
that right. South Africa is party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
which recognises the right of children to education and requires the government
to provide education on the basis of equal opportunity. Similarly, the South
African Constitution guarantees the right to basic education, including adult
basic education and further education, which the state, through reasonable
measures, must make progressively available and accessible.

Despite these achievements, our schools seemingly remain "Ivory Towers." As
various stakeholders, we need to create conducive conditions for teaching and
learning in this province. We cannot fold arms, when our children are exposed
to life threatening situations, which have a potential to ruin their future.
This new prevalence of crime in our schools poses a phenomenal challenge for
the democratic South Africa, especially in the Eastern Cape.

South Africa's written submission to the World Education for All Forum
identified the possession of weapons by students, sexual abuse, the use of
alcohol and drugs on school premises, and burglaries as having a debilitating
effect on the morale of school managers, educators, learners and governing
bodies. Our assessment of schools within 29 Police Stations' precincts in the
Eastern Cape reflect the prevalence of crimes such as sodomy, gangsterism,
assault, substance abuse, murder, rape, theft and alcohol abuse.

Causes of school violence and criminality within these schools reflect
amongst others: broken family homes, negative role models, poverty/
unemployment, lack of recreational facilities, no career guidance, lack of
security, physical and emotional abuse of learners etc.

The insecurity of the school environment presents a situation in which
children are routinely exposed to gang violence, rape, robbery, and assault.
Schools provide a vital point of access to young people who are both the
primary perpetrators and victims of violence today. Our school premises have
become a contested terrain, precisely because of the fine line separating youth
at risk inside the classroom and those whose criminality has been consolidated
on the other side of the fence.

The 2005 National Youth Victimisation Study, which was released last year by
the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, revealed the challenge of violence
experienced by school-going South African youth. It showed that almost one in
six young people feared to travel to school, while one in five had been
threatened or hurt by someone at school and nearly a third had been verbally
abused by someone at school.

Gangsterism is presenting itself as another threat in the safety and
security of our schools. Turf wars between gang members do not just spill onto
school grounds; rather, schools become territorial prizes because gangs need a
controlled area from which to sell drugs and recruit members. This ultimately
results to gangs operating freely in some school environments, making "schools
markets for drugs and weapons."

Intimidation by gangs can undermine all attempts of creating a culture of
learning and teaching. Lack of school security is a problem in high crime
areas. In many schools, teachers and students alike are frightened for their
safety.
The situation is even worse, when girls and female teachers are raped.

In South Africa, state failure to address the problems of rape, sexual
abuse, and sexual harassment of girls at school has a discriminatory impact and
effectively denies girls their right to education. The prevailing situation
must teach us a hard lesson: "we must rebuild the social fabric in our
society." It has also become evident that there are still elements of racially
motivated violence among students in formerly white, coloured, and Indian
schools, which featured derogatory and racial name-calling and various forms of
racial harassment often resulting in physical altercations.

These tendencies must come to an end! We are now a united nation with one
race, which is a "Human Race" that embraces the values of ubuntu. I believe
that the Premier's call to the Department of Education, Department of Safety
and Liaison, and all relevant stakeholders to develop a School Safety Programme
comes at the right time, when we have a Provincial Crime Prevention Strategy
that would guide our intervention. This strategy recognises that safety and
security is not only the responsibility of law enforcement agencies, but the
mobilisation of communities and various stakeholders to accelerate growth and
improve the quality of life of all citizens.

It further lays a solid foundation for the introduction of a School Safety
Programme, which will ensure:

* effective reduction of school violence
* massive community mobilisation to create a conducive environment for
effective teaching and learning.

The key focus areas of the School Safety Programme are infrastructure,
security control, community mobilisation, anti-drug and substance abuse and
school environment, including tendencies of bullying and other criminal
actions. This programme will be piloted at 40 schools located in Buffalo City,
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan and King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipalities. Despite
all these challenges facing our schools, we all have insight into the dynamics
of the problem, which necessitates our collective effort to restore peace and
stability in our schools.

Government, together with the communities particularly parents and learners
must build a first line of defence and provide guidance. Learners must be
listened to, because they know exactly where crimes are taking place within and
outside the school and often suggest practical solutions. There must be
constant dialogue between various spheres of government and other relevant role
players with a view to implement our strategy and to truly make our schools
places of learning where peace, security and comfort prevail.

School Safety Committees must be established in partnership with Community
Police Forums. The Adopt-a-Cop Programme must be resuscitated with the
assistance of the SAPS. The Municipality must declare areas surrounding schools
as substance free. School sport must be restored.

In conclusion

I would like to once more express my appreciation for this effort and hope
that we will continue to work together in pursuit of peace, security and
comfort in our schools. It is through joint initiatives that we can be able to
build a society of present and future generations that remain committed to
strong values, stoical discipline, high moral stamina, humanity and
integrity.

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Safety and Liaison, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
30 August 2007