School safety in Gauteng a concern – Education MEC | #hacking | #aihp

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has noted challenges to safety in Gauteng schools.

As such, MEC Matome Chiloane announced what measures the department seeks to initiate to address school safety in Gauteng.

“We have noted with great concern the recurring challenges of safety, including stabbings and gangsterism in and around schools in the province. Just this past Tuesday (May 16), a 16-year-old male learner from Aha-Thuto Secondary School in Orange Farm stabbed a 17-year-old male learner to death.

“The GDE, in collaboration with fellow GPG departments, law enforcement agencies and communities, will be rolling out initiatives to intensify its Safe School Strategy and other related interventions to ensure our schools remain relatively stable, peaceful and disruption-free,” he said.

School safety intervention

On May 31, the GDE will be launching School Safety Week, which will entail various activities and interventions such as:

• Educational visits to police stations and prisons.

• Meetings with CPFs.

• Expansion of the Adopt-A-Cop programme where schools are assigned their own police officer.

• Training of school-based safety committees at the 225 schools at risk. Training started on February 17 and is set to conclude on June 10.

• Search-and-seizure operations at identified high-risk schools.

• Intensification of advocacy programmes against anti-social acts and behaviour.