Cape Town - The alarming number of violent incidents at schools across the country since the start of the year has demonstrated that teaching and learning institutions are no longer safe spaces for pupils and teachers.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) said recently that the incidents of violence included bullying, suicide, stabbings and shootings.
Last week, there were serious incidents in KwaZulu-Natal schools.
The deputy principal of Sandakahle Primary School in uMlazi, Durban, was injured in a shooting during an alleged botched hijacking.
At Sarasvati Primary School in oThongathi, a teacher was allegedly assaulted by her colleagues, and the principal of the same school was attacked by a gunman.
There were several other incidents earlier this year, including the murder of a Grade 10 pupil who was stabbed to death, allegedly by fellow pupils in Gauteng.
Sadtu KZN secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said criminal incidents at schools could not be separated from the crimes that took place in the communities where they were based.
Indeed, schools belong to communities, and therefore parents and community leaders need to band together to protect the institutions before the situation worsens.
It is unfathomable that parents should be sending their children to school not knowing whether they will return, or that teachers contemplate bringing weapons to schools to protect themselves.
Urgent action is required on the part of the government to provide better security at schools that have been identified as hot spots for violence, while communities should do more to look after schools in their areas.
One way they can do this is by joining the campaign launched by Sadtu, “I Am A School Fan”.
The campaign calls on all stakeholders to make schools safe havens, to stop violence against teachers and pupils, to stop vandalisim in schools, keep schools safe and clean and build a caring society.
Cape Times