Cape Town - Attacks on teachers and other forms of violence in schools have reached a crisis point and prompted a national teachers union to call for an urgent summit of all stakeholders to address the issue.
At their annual conference, held at the weekend, the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) said government and other stakeholders needed to work together in finding a solution to violence at schools.
Naptosa’s Riedwaan Ahmed said: “The stabbing of a school principal at the Bishop Lavis School of Skills in April sparked the need for us as a union to step up in the fight regarding school safety, in relation to teachers and learners. Police, the provincial education department, the city council and communities need to work on this.”
Ahmed said the Education Department needed to have a pro-poor approach in regards to funding and allocating resources. He said often when incidents occur on the school premises it is the responsibilityof the education department, but when violence occurs outside the school gates it's the municipality's or police's responsibility.
Two weeks ago, South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) made a similar call, citing an increase in violence at schools, directed at teachers, support staff and pupils.
According to Sadtu statistics from January to March this year, there have been a total of 52 attacks on teachers; nine attacks on teachers by community members, 39 attacks by pupils and four attacks made by parents.
“In light of attacks on the teachers, supports staff and pupils, Sadtu is advancing a call to the provincial government to put in place plans to ensure that all schools are safe."
Naptosa however, recorded a slightly higher number of incidents of violence and abuse: at least 28 verbal threats, 33 assaults and nine threats with a weapon made to teachers by pupils and community members.
Jessica Shelver spokesperson for Education MEC Debbie Schafer said: “We call on police to increase visible patrolling at our schools and for members of the police to adopt schools to ensure a safe school environment. It is important to note that while we do everything possible to protect our pupils while on the school premises, community safety and crime control rests with the police. While we have no control over police directly and their operations, we certainly try to engage with them on a regular basis to improve security at schools.”
Mayco member for safety and security; and social services JP Smith said: “There is no solution for school safety, but for crime as a whole. We need complete change in communities.”
This weekend stakeholders will have a dialogue on school safety at Oude Molen Technical High School.