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Crime rising at schools
07/10/2004 09:40 - (SA)
Jan-Jan Joubert, Beeld
Cape Town - Cases reported to police show that crimes such as assault, sexual violence and offences related to firearms have escalated alarmingly at schools over the past few years.
Education Minister Naledi Pandor provided this information in answer to a question by Independent Democrats MP Vincent Gore.
The number of assault cases at schools increased from 12 in 2001 to 99 so far this year. Assault without the intent to do grievous bodily harm doubled from 8 to 16 over the same period.
While 20 complaints of sexual assault on school grounds were reported to the police in 2001, 111 such cases have already been reported to police this year.
Four cases of violence involving guns on school grounds and fifteen incidents of violence at schools have been reported so far.
Pandor said these statistics were collected from education departments and not from the police and did not include figures from Limpopo and the Eastern Cape as these two provinces failed to react on a request for information.
She said the education department regarded the safety of pupils and teachers as a serious matter and that provincial units had been established to improve security at schools.
A manual was developed and distributed to help schools handle incidents of assault, sexual violence, dangerous weapons, manslaughter and other forms of violence.
Community organisations have been involved to provide counselling especially child abuse, molestation and drug abuse.
The education department has established a policy framework that included strict guidelines regarding safety and handling of issues such as drugs. Certain aspects were being addressed in the curriculum.
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