PRESENTATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION 4 AUGUST

PRESENTATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION 4 AUGUST 2015 School Safety, Violence and Bullying

OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION BACKGROUND • Violence in South African Schools v Approaches that does not work v. Effective Strategies to address School Violence • Current data on school violence v. Key Findings of the National School Violence Study (NSVS) 2012/2013 • Department of Basic Education (DBE) Response to School Safety v. Ecological Model Explained v. Earlier Departmental Response Current Programmes v. National School Safety Framework v. Focus of the DBE-SAPS Protocol v. Code of Conduct for Learners v. Prevention and Management of Bullying (cyber- and homophobic bullying) in schools v. National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use amongst Learners in Schools and the Guide to Drug Testing in South African Schools v. Regulations for Safety Measures at all Public Schools v. Road Safety • Conclusion

BACKGROUND • Violence continues to plague South Africa, the roots of which lie in our legacy of apartheid, our current socio-economic realities, including extreme inequality and our discriminatory cultural & gender norms. • Experiences of violence at school, and related to the school environment, are common throughout the country. • Safety and nonviolence in schools are critical requirements to the achievement of educational outcomes and integral to our vision for quality basic education. • While levels may be high, this is not unique to South Africa: School Violence is common enough throughout the world to have warranted the establishment over the past two decades of various national and international commissions and committees and expert groups such as those established by UNESCO and UNICEF. • Does not suggest that less attention should be paid to the phenomenon, but provides an evidence base for our work in this area.

APPROACHES THAT DO NOT WORK • • Common approaches or interventions that may appear sensible, intuitive or promising, but that have substantial scientific evidence to show that they do not work in the long term. These include: v increase mistrust in the police, undermine respect for authority, negatively affect concentration and school performance, as well as often leading to profiling and targeting of certain at-risk learners who require interventions other than those bringing them into contact with the law. Reliance on police, and security guards, result in a dependence on law enforcement to maintain discipline, and interfere in education. v Armed security guards: these often assume the role of police, have no effect in identifying and mediating potential conflict, and have been shown to have no effect in preventing gun violence. v Zero tolerance approaches to drugs, alcohol and violence: these policies serve to marginalize problematic learners, and fail to address root causes. Zero tolerance approaches are more likely to exclude children from the formal education system, increasing risk of further and more serious contact with the law. v Metal detectors (when provided as part of an infrastructure programme and nothing else): these have been shown in some instances to decrease the likelihood of guns at schools, but have no impact on other weapons including knives. They have also been shown to have no impact at all when rolled out in isolation of other interventions. v Investing in after-school or other school-related recreational activities (and passive encouragement of participation in these) will not necessarily result in an improved school climate and decrease in school strain (strongly correlated with violence and the lack of safety ). These may only be effective when coupled with cognitive behaviour or evidencebased parenting interventions.

EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS SCHOOL VIOLENCE The most effective evidence-based strategies to prevent and address school violence are by nature, medium to long term, and are focused primarily on institutional change, capacity building, school management and partnerships. Examples: v Focus on reducing class sizes v Invest in educator training v Provide support and training for educators to identify learners at risk. v Provide support and training for educators on classroom management and behaviour management v Related to the above, training for educators to identify learners at-risk. Violence is rarely impulsive, and is usually the culmination of a series of other, more minor acts. Capacity and accountability must be built to investigate all reports and suspicion of risk/threat early on v Build relationships between schools and parents, community leaders v Increase educator to learner ratios – not just in classrooms but to monitor open and unsafe spaces (as identified by learners) v Increase access to counsellors/social workers v Accountable school management – educators in classrooms, managing classes, overseeing learners, and accountability for this not happening. All the above are premised on the participation and voices of all within the school system, and the embedding of these relationships within broader community relationships and structures. South African research shows that even those schools that against the odds are successfully managed for safety, often encounter difficulties in engagement with SAPS and local government. This is in part due to different conceptualizations of roles and responsibilities, and of the best approaches to take, as well as simply unresponsiveness on the part of other community and government stakeholders.

Continued… Successful shorter term strategies include: v Provide learners a voice, ensure participation, in identifying safety concerns and geographies, and developing measures to enhance safety v Ensure commitment and engagement of parents and community members, with VERY defined roles and responsibilities, to monitor boundaries, entrance and egress points at specific times of days (roles need to be clearly defined, and the success is contingent on responsive authorities); in some high risk communities, SAPS can be engaged not within the school, but outside of school grounds, at specific times of the day. v Building transparency and trust within schools, with safety seen as a shared and common good, and learners and all within the school aware of processes, responsibilities, and strategies v In relation to school climate, specifically reward or recognize those students committed to or doing well within the school environment. Substantial evidence exists of the benefit of investing in evidence-based approaches. For example, positive behavioural intervention and support reflects a broader public health and socio-ecological model to violence prevention and school safety. At a primary level, it involved all learners in efforts to teach and integrate social skills and behaviour management into everyday teaching; and at a secondary level, it focuses on children who may be struggling academically or socially (i. e. at-risk).

CURRENT DATA ON VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS • In 2008, Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP) conducted the first baseline study on school violence in South Africa which was followed up with a second study in 2012/2013. • The 2008 study found that 22% of the secondary school learners surveyed had experienced some form of violence in the 12 months preceding the study. • According to the National School Violence Study (NSVS) 2012/2013, 22. 2% of high school learners were found to have been threatened with violence or had been the victim of an assault, robbery and/or sexual assault at school in the past year. • In total, more than a fifth of learners had experienced violence at school. v 12. 2% had been threatened with violence by someone at school v 6. 3% had been assaulted (excluding corporal punishment) v 4. 7% had been sexually assaulted or raped v 4. 5% had been robbed at school.

CONTINUED… v 20% of learners had experienced some form of cyber bullying in the past year. v. Violence at schools was often not a once-off encounter. v. Violence was not limited to incidents between learners v. The classroom is the primary site of victimization and violence - often happening when no teacher is present v. Educators were also often victims of verbal violence (52. 1%), physical violence (12. 4%) and sexual violence (3. 3%) perpetrated by learners.

CONTINUED… • Like the 2008 study, the 2012 NSVS highlighted the extent to which family and community factors intersect with the levels of violence occurring at schools. • Communities with high neighbourhood crime and violence experience higher levels of crime and violence in their schools.

Location of violence Threats Assault Sexual assault Robbery Theft Classrooms 44. 3 51. 0 54. 2 60. 2 91. 5 School gate area 1. 0 0. 6 0. 0 0. 8 0. 0 Playing fields 25. 0 24. 8 13. 2 14. 0 4. 6 Corridors 11. 1 5. 0 11. 4 7. 2 1. 1 Toilets 4. 1 5. 5 12. 5 6. 8 0. 3 Other open grounds 13. 5 11. 8 6. 6 6. 4 1. 0 Halls 1. 0 0. 6 0. 4 1. 1 0. 2 Principal’s office 0. 0 0. 6 0. 0 3. 4 0. 6

Perpetrators of violence

Experiences of violence, by province (% of learners reporting victimisation including theft)

CONTINUED… The Western Cape, Limpopo and Free State emerged as the provinces with the highest frequency of threats of violence in both 2008 and 2012. In the case of robbery, the Free State and the Western Cape had the highest rates in both 2008 and 2012. Differences were, however, noted for the crimes of assault and sexual assault. Although the Western Cape emerged as one of the provinces where assault was highest in both 2008 and 2012, it was the only province in the top three that remained unchanged. In the case of sexual assault, none of the provinces with the highest frequency of this crime in 2008 (that is, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Kwa. Zulu-Natal) were among the top three provinces for this crime in 2012 ) Overall, as in 2008, the Free State and Western Cape provinces demonstrated the highest frequency of incidents across all the crime categories assessed. The level of violence within Western Cape schools may be expected given the recent upsurge in gang-related activities in several communities across the province. The issue has prompted the provincial department of education to focus on new interventions in an attempt to stem the tide of violence, for example the deployment of Metro police officers in selected schools. Although the presence of school resource officers in schools was initially associated with lower levels of fear of crime and increased perceptions of learner safety at schools, 12 years later studies have found that the visibility of school resource officers increases resistance and antisocial behaviour among learners and erodes educator–learner relationships.

DBE RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS • The DBE response to school safety is underpinned by the following: v School violence is undergirded by a myriad of individual, school, family and broader communitylevel risk factors that coalesce to create vulnerability for violence. v Any attempt to curb violence occurring in schools needs to extend beyond the school itself. v Parental & Community support, including prevention and early intervention are the most reliable and cost-effective ways to support school safety

CONTINUED… • The DBE uses an Ecological Model to address Violence in Schools

ECOLOGICAL MODEL EXPLAINED

DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSES • In 2006, after the South African Human Rights Commission report on “Violence in school”, the department with the support of UNICEF implemented guidelines to schools on Creating Safe, Caring Child Friendly Schools. Several provinces were part of the “Creating Safe, Caring Child Friendly Schools” initiative. • The 2008 NSVS, revealed that most schools had similar safety and security challenges, which were grouped as follows: v v • Physical infrastructure and equipment Safety and Security Management and Governance Partnership The department, supported by CJCP developed the Early Warning System, a guide and management tool for principals, school management teams, school governing bodies, teachers and learners to identify and report on risks and threats at schools. This included the development of material and training for teachers.

CURRENT PROGRAMMES • School safety & the prevention and management of crime is a shared mandate, hence DBE collaborates with other relevant departments • In 2011 the DBE & SAPS signed a protocol to reduce crime and violence in schools and in communities • The Strategic Objective of this Protocol falls under the Care and Support for Teaching and Learning Programme to address incidents of crime and violence in a holistic and integrated manner.

NATIONAL SCHOOL SAFETY FRAMEWORK (NSSF) • The National School Safety Framework was approved in April 2015 and the training of identified Provincial Master Trainers in all nine provinces have commenced on 29 June and will be completed by the end of August 2015. • The National School Safety Framework (NSSF) provides an important instrument through which minimum standards for safety at school can be established, implemented and monitored, and for which schools, districts and provinces can be held accountable. • The Framework is premised on the assumption that each person in the school experience safety in different ways, and has different safety needs, and it provides schools with the tools to identify what these experiences are, and the steps that need to be taken to address individual needs. • At the same time the Framework provides a systematic approach to ensuring that each member in the school body plays their role in creating and maintaining safe school spaces. Implementation. • • Provincial Master Trainers will be expected to cascade this training to all schools in the different provinces. • Monitoring and Evaluation: The framework will be supported by a clear implementation roll out plan, standardized school safety indicators, and a national reporting and referral system through the utilisation of the South Africa School Administrative and Management System (SASAMS). Provision in is made on the SASAMS for principals to report on behaviour transgressions and the different categories of crime and violence.

THE FOCUS OF THE DBE-SAPS PROTOCOL • • • To strengthen School Safety Committees in addressing crime and violence in schools as part of its mandate To assume an active role as a member of Safe School Committees To link all schools to Local Police Stations To raise awareness amongst children and young learners regarding crime and violence and its impact on individuals, families and education To mobilize communities to take ownership of schools To encourage the establishment of reporting systems at schools and, To implement school-based crime prevention programmes in collaboration with provincial, district/local officials responsible for school safety Progress: v 16 406 schools have been linked and established School Safety Committees (Verified) Commitments of the Partnership Protocol is currently under review to include issues related to: v Combatting the Use of Alcohol and Illegal Substances v Conducting Search and Seizures to remove drugs and weapons from schools v Drug testing of learners v Closure of taverns in the vicinity of schools v Addressing gangs in schools

Code of Conduct for Learners An exemplar Code of Conduct has been developed by the Department and distributed to all Provinces to serve as an example for schools to develop their own context specific Codes of Conduct for Learners. The SASA identifies 5 levels behaviour transgressions. Levels one to three can be managed internally by teachers, the principal, and senior management team members. Levels 4 -5 warrants the intervention of the District-based support teams or professionals and warrants recommendations in terms of possible expulsion, e. g. threatening the lives of fellow learners (involvement of dangerous weapons), rape, sexual violence, constant use of illegal substances or trafficking of illegal substances, violence against a teacher. The SASA makes it clear that no learner can be exempted from the specifications of the Code of Conduct for Learners in terms of what constitutes appropriate behaviour and the consequences of ill behaviour. Parents and learners agree to the determinations of the Code of Conduct and sign an agreement at the beginning of each year.

PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF BULLYING IN SCHOOLS • Training manuals on the Prevention and Management of Bullying (Cyber and Homophobic Bullying included) have been developed and Provincial Master Trainers have been trained in all nine provinces. • 3743 Provincial Master Trainers have been trained and 12 354 schools have been trained by the Provincial Master Trainers • DBE has developed E-Safety Guidelines to address cyberbullying in collaboration with the Directorate Curriculum Innovation, which was electronically distributed to provinces. • The Department is working on a National Anti-Bullying and Behaviour Change Campaign to be launched in due course. • Specific effort is made to include schools for learners with special needs in this training, which will be implemented by provinces.

National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use amongst Learners in Schools Guide to Drug Testing in South African Schools • Strategy and Guidelines have been printed and distributed to all provinces. • Strategy and guidelines have been communicated and facilitated at interprovincial meetings for School Safety. • Drug testing guidelines has been developed through support of UNICEF and distributed to all provinces for implementation. • The Department works closely with the Department of Social Development as the Leading Department on combatting alcohol and drug Use/Abuse amongst Youth. In terms of referrals the Department of Health plays an important role. • The Department participated with the Department of Social Development in terms of the commemoration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Eersterust on 2 July 2015. • Consultation with South Africa Institute for Drug Free Sport regarding the prevention and management of the use of prohibited substances or methods intended to enhance performance in sport activities has been completed and will be implemented in schools.

Regulations for Safety Measures at all Public Schools The Department is in the process of reviewing and amending the Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools promulgated in terms of Government Gazette No. 22754 of 12 October 2001. § Mandatory implementation of the National School Safety Framework by all schools § Specific attention given to: § Safety risk assessments to be conducted twice a year § Development of School Safety Plans by all schools § Emergency Plan and disaster management procedures § Supervision of learners during and after official school activities to be implemented by all schools § Access Control Measures for learners and visitors to be implemented § Transportation of learners during and after school hours on school excursions for academic purposes or sport and cultural activities. § Pesticides and hazardous substances

ROAD SAFETY • Road safety is a development and social equity issue. • Research demonstrates, poorer population groups bear a disproportionate burden of avoidable morbidity and mortality from road traffic injuries. The distribution of road traffic injuries is generally influenced by socio-economic factors. • Fatality rates for 0 -4 and 5 -14 year olds in low- and middle-income regions, measured as deaths per 100 000 population, were six times the rates for high-income regions, while within low- and middle-income regions the rates vary widely • According to the National Household Survey (Statistics SA) of 2013, 61. 5% preschool learners walk to school and 68. 8% of school learners walk to school. These stats are encouraging due to the fact that these kids keep physically fit; however the challenge is to keep them safe on our roads. • Pedestrian safety remains one of the most important challenges to authorities in South Africa. The history and segregated development within South Africa further necessitate that we do much more for the protection of pedestrians. With a multidisciplinary approach and implementation of global best practices, it is however possible to significantly reduce pedestrian fatalities and make our roads safer for children.

Continued… • DBE in partnership with Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) are involved in the following programmes: v Multi Media Programme; v Junior Traffic Training Centres; and v Scholar Patrols • The objectives of the Partnership Protocol are: v To create a safe environment for the learners to cross the road; v To ensure safe crossing of learners; and v To encourage learners to be aware of road safety issues or problems

Continued… PARTNERSHIP WITH (Supported by Imperial) ACTIVE EDUCATION By 5 February 2015 established 550 scholar patrols at high risk schools. NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY SEMINAR On 30 June a National Road Safety Seminar was hosted by the Department with relevant stakeholders to solicit support towards the implementation of a National Pedestrian Safety Campaign.

Conclusion Considerable attention has been paid to the matter of school violence over the past five years. While there is clearly a policy shift towards a standardised approach, the degree to which this is likely to achieve success is largely contingent on the willingness of provinces, districts and individual schools to ensure that interventions fall within the standardised approach and framework, as well as their willingness to be held accountable for safety in schools. Making a real impact on school violence and achieving safe school environments is only likely to happen when school safety is integrated as a fundamental component of local safety strategies, and when the role and commitment of all stakeholders – beyond the just schools – is recognised and secured in working towards local level community safety strategies.

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