On Sunday 4 November, the SAPS, Community Police Forum, School Governing Body, Sector Police forum, Isibindi (child and youth care organisation) and Sparrow and Swallow Nest NPO gathered for a stakeholders meeting at Maikaelelo Primary School, Diepkloof, Olifantshoek.
The purpose of the meeting was to introduce an approach intervention for improving the safety of learners, teachers, and the community within the learning precincts. Recently a learner assaulted the principal and two cases of (sexually assault) rape, sexual harassment, and drug abuse had been reported that occurred on and metres away from the school premises.
The intervention from part of the Provincial School Safety Protocol launched on 26 October at Gaukake Primary School at Maruping, where the Northern Cape MEC for Education, Martha Bartlett, said that a national policy framework is in the offing to curtail indiscipline within the learning environment in schools.
Olifantshoek Community Police Forum and stakeholders are concerned about the safety of learners and teachers at school.
Constable Kagiso Grootboom from Olifantshoek SAPS said that he has been receiving many phone calls from Maikaelelo that learners disrupt classes and disturb peace, bully other learners and the reasons why these pupils do these acts are that some of them are exposed to domestic violence, sexual harassment and drug and alcohol abuse at home and urgent interventions need to be adopted or developed.
MEC Ms Bartlett said at the Provincial School Safety Protocol Launch, “The department takes school safety very seriously and has put various policies and measures into place to ensure that the safety of all learners, educators and relevant stakeholders is achieved.
We must ensure that there is no place for violence, drug abuse, sexual harassment and other criminal activities in schools. We want to inculcate values and ethics that keep the learning environment a desirable haven for learners.
Solid partnership between the department and SAPS have been introduced and will take an invigorated stance in the fight against crime. Schools will be linked to local police stations in an endeavour to instil discipline within the learning environment,” MEC Bartlett said.
The NC SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Risimati Shivuri said, “Weapons and drugs have become part of learners stationery, thus disrupting the classes and disturbing peace. We have allowed those children to bully others, disrespect the teachers, come late to school and leave the premises before the time.
Schools have also become a breeding ground for criminals and this happens right under our watch and prisons are overflowing with people and children because we have allowed crime to manifest itself into an insurmountable mountain. I have no doubt in my mind that there is not a single parent here who wants to raise a criminal.
Learner discipline starts at home and schools are there to nurture it through educators. Teachers, like gardeners, are there to water the planted vegetables. Parents must instil discipline in their children and that makes it easier for the educator to polish the diamond.”
