Fellow ministers
Deputy ministers
Director-generals
Members of the media
Government is confident that the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be a major success. Government and the civil society have also put in place measures of safety to indicate our state of readiness related to attacks on children, youth and women.
This media briefing gives government the opportunity to allay concerns that have been raised particularly in the media and to reassure the general public and our visitors that South Africa has prepared thoroughly in order to ensure the safety and protection of children, youth and women.
We are excited about the world cup tournament, but are aware that a tournament of this magnitude may create unintended opportunities for criminals in terms of human trafficking and the exploitation of children (prostitution, commercial sexual exploitation, child labour and use of children by adults to commit crimes).
Such a tournament may also unintentionally amplify other social problems such as substance abuse, especially alcohol with its associated problems of domestic violence and the use of children as beggars on the streets.
Government has also placed the safety of our children as a priority, and has therefore developed an extensive action plan to mitigate all risks associated with the 2010 World Cup to ensure that all children and women are protected from criminal activities and violence and abuse of any kind.
While it is important that all South Africans and our visitors make the most of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, it is vital to ensure the safety of our children.
Last week government launched the Child Protection Week to raise the profile that it is the responsibility of all our citizens, families and communities in keeping all children and women safe. The campaign is currently under way in all provinces, including the host cities.
As President Zuma stated last week; we urge all parents to take extra care and ensure that their children are supervised and provided with guidance at all times.
Education
One of the main issues that have been raised by the media is the issue of the effect of the extended holiday period for our learners and the impact on learner achievement.
As a result of the 2010 FIFA World Cup taking place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010, the Members of the Executive Council (MECs) took the decision to extend the June to July school holidays to five weeks. Schools close officially on 9 June and reopen on 13 July 2010. No reduction in the school year.
While this is an unusually long winter holiday, the Department of Education wishes to allay the concerns of the public that the school year has been drastically reduced. This year the winter holidays is 22 days and it is usually 15.
The number of school days each year is set by law at between 195 and 200 days. In 2010, the school year is 195 days. This year is thus a normal school year and we have started schools a week earlier to accommodate the slightly longer winter break.
The department would like to urge all parents to encourage their children of all ages to continue to read during this period by reading with them, and accessing reading materials from community libraries and other sources.
Holiday programmes
Government wishes to inform the public that all provinces have set in place a number of programmes during the five week period that are focussed on preparing matriculants for the final examinations at the end of the year.
Provinces are offering a variety of interventions for matriculants including help lines staffed by subject experts and winter schools for learners across districts. Provinces have also encouraged schools to offer enrichment programmes for younger learners.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer matches take place in the afternoons and evenings, so it is important that schools offer activities for learners that will engage them positively.
Government is also working closely with organisations such as the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and other non government organisations to ensure that younger learners are also positively engaged in activities including safety awareness and school enrichment and cultural programmes.
UNICEF South Africa has scheduled 21 sport festivals in school communities around the country during the school holidays, creating opportunities for children to celebrate the world cup in their own communities.
This is also great opportunity for our young people to learn about other countries and their people. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is not only about a great sporting occasion, but also a wonderful educational opportunity for young South Africans.
Government is also encouraging schools to make the most of the opportunities of the world cup and to set up their own fan parks, where children can participate in the excitement of the matches in controlled situations.
Safety of children
UNICEF, on 11 March, through the Department of Social Development, has facilitated training of social service professionals from government and non-governmental organisations (NGO) sectors at nine provincial training sessions to improve their knowledge of the referral system that will be used during the world cup.
The Department of Social Development's training programme was targeted at training approximately 1 000 social and child care workers at nine provincial training sessions and national training sessions. They also assisted with the training of NGOs involved in child care services.
Ultimately, the project as a whole will contribute to and help strengthen the country's child protection system as a legacy of the world cup.
Social work professionals will be deployed at public viewing areas and in all host cities. Child ambassadors have been appointed who will be present at all fan parks and in stadium precincts.
It is important that children are not left unaccompanied at these venues. Child friendly spaces, in conjunction with UNICEF, will be located in four of the FIFA fan fests in three host cities for the duration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to serve as a refuge for children who are at risk.
These spaces will be located at:
* Innesfree Park: Sandton, Gauteng
* Elkah stadium: Rockville, Soweto, Gauteng
* St Georges Park: Port Elizabeth
* Nelspruit: Mpumalanga
The Department of Social Development has a critical role to play in the provision of services for victims of human trafficking. These include services rendered by social service professionals such as reporting, identification and assessment of a person who is a victim of trafficking.
Once this is confirmed, the victim is entitled to be placed under an approved programme and identified shelters, child victims are to be immediately placed in temporary safe care.
Other services include the provision of accommodation, counselling and rehabilitation services as well as to reintegrate the victims back with their families and communities of origin.
The justice system has dedicated courts and is also responsible for prevention campaigns regarding children's matters pertaining to the law.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) ensures the safety and protection of children in terms of the legislative framework and personnel are also trained to ensure that the best protection is provided to children.
The South African Police Service has developed a "step by step" guideline for all members working at the frontline services (community service centres) at all police stations and contact points. They will be more vigilant in and around the FIFA stadiums during this world cup.
Parents and care givers are encouraged to contact their children's schools so that they are informed of what holiday programmes are being conducted, both for matriculants and other learners in senior grades as well as programmes for younger learners.
The president emphasised that the protection of children is everybody's business and called on all South Africans to be vigilant and to work closely with law enforcement authorities to stem out the scourge of abuse, neglect and exploitation. This is fundamentally a social problem, which cannot be solved by government alone.
The Ministry for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities concluded the Child Protection Week with the celebration of the International Children's Day that was focused on the safety of children during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. Several similar community awareness campaigns have been held at provincial level.
The ministry is reinforcing these community awareness efforts with a media advertising campaign starting later this week. The focus is on emphasising family and community responsibilities with regard to the well being of children and the legal obligation to report all cases of abuse.
Government has developed a set of guidelines to ensure that minimum norms and standards are in place when dealing with child and adult victims of trafficking. This will ensure that we are able to treat victims of trafficking with the dignity espoused in our Constitution and the United Nations protocol on trafficking in persons.
The Department of Arts and Culture strives to develop and preserve South African culture to ensure social cohesion and nation building. As such, the world cup offers massive potential for all South Africans to unite for the attainment of a common goal and various efforts have been in place aimed at ensuring that South Africans respond collectively as a nation to this events.
From the Fly the Flag campaign, to the flag in every school initiative, the campaign to have a flag in every taxi and every car to etiquette and awareness raising about the correct singing of the national anthem.
As government, we have a new approach to the celebration of national days in an attempt to bring ever more South Africans together and the football world cup similarly offers a unique opportunity for all South Africans to celebrate and unite despite differences, in embracing other nations from across the globe.
As this month is one of fun and celebration, we encourage all South African, particularly our children and youth, to remember that our heritage and culture are also fun and offer many opportunities for visits to our theatres, historical sites, exhibitions, libraries, museums and other places of interest.
We also hope that you will make friends with children and young people from other countries as we all share one global community and take pride in introducing them to your country, its history and its people!
As the country is in the mood of Ke Nako, we urge all to remember that "it takes a village to raise a child", emphasising the role of the wider community in keeping children safe.
Issued by: Department of Basic Education
2 June 2010
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za/)
