Question No. 1417
Dr JC Kloppers-Lourens (Democratic Alliance) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether her department has taken steps in order to ensure that every school is in possession of a well formulated and approved policy on violence that incorporates, amongst others, a safety plan; if not, why not; if so, what steps?
Reply:
The development of school safety plans for schools has been one of the priorities for the Department of Basic Education. The department, in conjunction with provinces, has identified and prioritised 585 high risk schools for intervention. The department has provided provincial officials and some schools with training on the Hlayiseka early warning system. This system serves as a tool for identifying and responding to security issues and threats, how to report and manage incidents appropriately, and how to monitor school safety over time.
The Hlayiseka programme, which was developed in partnership with the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention also helps schools to develop safety plans and developing codes of conduct. Provinces have rolled out training on the Hlayiseka tool to the identified high priority schools. The training involved principals, student governing body (SGB) members, Learner Representative Council (LRC) representatives, and teachers in the 585 schools. The training encourages schools to use this tool to inform the drafting of context specific school safety plans. Provinces have been requested to provide reports on the roll out of Hlayiseka.
Issued by: Department of Basic Education
25 September 2009
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za/)
