Provincial Education Minister Says Campaign Against Violence In Schools Must Be Intensified

Western Cape Provincial Education Minister Cameron Dugmore has expressed deep concern at the recent spate of violence in schools, and has announced new initiatives to help restore a culture of tolerance, respect and discipline in schools.

This morning MEC Dugmore visited the family of the late Marawaan Blackenberg from the Ned Doman High School in Athlone. The learner died after being attacked by fellow pupils. Five learners, aged between 16 and 19, were arrested and appeared in court this morning.

MEC Dugmore, who left the Provincial Legislature to visit the family, expressed his condolences on behalf of the Premier and Members of the Legislature. He was particularly disturbed at the violent nature of the attack.

There has been speculation about a possible racial motive to this incident. He has called on the community for calm and restraint and to let the law take its course.

"I spent time with Marawaan's parents this morning and did my best to console them in this time of deep bereavement. I conveyed to them that this tragic incident will redouble our efforts to make sure that our schools are safe learning homes.

"For now, we must give the justice system space to deal with this matter. I really want to appeal to all our communities not to let this incident pull us further apart in terms of our objective of building a home for all our people," said Dugmore.

This attack is the latest in a serious of violent incidents at various schools in the last few weeks. Just yesterday in Masiphumelele learners have been protesting against the deputy principal and violence erupted.

A week ago, similar protest demonstrations against the school management turned violent. The police had to intervene when the learners stoned the school, slightly injuring two teachers and damaging three police vehicles. The police had to use rubber bullets to restrain the learners.

The principal is now reporting, for the moment, to the offices of the Education and Management District Centre South in Mitchell's Plain until the tensions have been resolved.

In another incident a teacher and a learner from the AZ Berman Primary School in Mitchell's Plain are facing possible disciplinary action. The boy was swearing at the teacher, who apparently reacted in shock and slapped the boy.

Last week armed robbers held up a teacher from the Masibambisane Primary School in Delft, trying to make way with a laptop and other goods. The school says it not the first time that criminals have invaded the school.

Meanwhile, the condition of the teacher from the Montevideo Primary School in Montana who was shot, after which 10-year-old Kevin Arendse was held hostage, has improved. The gunman, allegedly under the influence of drugs, held Kevin hostage for nearly five hours and was fatally wounded in the efforts of the police to rescue the boy.

Said MEC Dugmore: "It is clear that whilst our Safer Schools Campaign has made major gains, we have to do much more."

Initiatives already under way are the following:

• A submission to the Provincial Minister of Transport and Public Works Mcebisi Skwatsha to employ 2,000 schools safety officers drawn from the ranks of unemployed parents as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme, to be deployed to schools at risk.
• A detailed programme to improve school infrastructure to ensure a safer environment.
• A coordinated procurement of security companies who currently provide services to individual schools.
• Petition to the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula in terms of the Firearms Act to declare public state schools as gun free zones.
• A safety summit, in partnership with the Community Safety Department, involving all 65 schools in Khayelitsha next month. This could be extended to other regions and affected communities.

Minister Dugmore has urged communities, school governing bodies, learner representative councils and teacher unions to actively assist the department in its efforts to create a safer learning environment. For this reason he is convening a meeting with the learners, parents, teachers, unions and community stakeholders of Masiphumelele on Monday evening.

Furthermore, he is meeting about 2,000 learner representatives of the 200 Cape Town high schools next Wednesday, to talk to them about issues of safety, respect, diversity and discipline in schools. A week thereafter the MEC will be meeting representatives of the governing bodies of all the Cape Town high schools.

Said MEC Dugmore: "At the end of the day even when all of these initiatives are implemented, as they will be, in addition to our existing safety campaign, we will not win the battle unless our learners and parents are actively involved.

"I am working towards a situation where every teacher, student and parent will say with one voice, that we will not allow any weapons, drugs and violence on our schools.

"If all of us adopt this attitude, we can, together with the support of the police and community, turn around the culture of violence."

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi: 082 550 3938, or gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.

Gert Witbooi
Media Secretary
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

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