South Africa Department of Education’s health and safety requirements for schools in Mossel Bay

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BUSINESS NEWS - The Department of Basic Education takes health and safety in schools in Mossel Bay, and the rest of South Africa, extremely seriously. It is also an apex priority of the department and has resulted in various stringent policies and measures put in place to ensure the safety of learners, educators and relevant school stakeholders.

Requirements according to the Department of Basic Education

The department has reiterated, on several occasions, that there is no tolerance towards violence, drug use and abuse, sexual harassment, or any other acts that are considered criminal, in schools as these have the potential to pose a barrier to learning.

A substantial amount of emphasis is placed on the inculcation of values and ethics as well as a just and caring society within schools and the communities that surround them. The department views all non-compliance in a serious light as these actions carry the potential to deprive learners of an inherent constitutional right to life, education, equality and dignity.

Countless interventions specifically aim to address the elements that pertain to physical infrastructure, including:

Adequate fences around the school perimeter.
Alarm systems.
Burglar proofing, and several others.

This also includes a programme to build resilience in young people and to strengthen partnerships with the various stakeholders. A strong partnership exists between the department and the South African Police Service (SAPS). This partnership focuses on collaboration between schools and police stations and to subsequently establish functional school safety committees.

Schools are regarded as critical; they instil discipline and must be considered as safe places that offer an enriched and conductive learning environment. For this reason, significant emphasis is placed on the Codes of Conduct for Learners at all public schools in South Africa.

This places direct responsibility on schools to provide a conductive environment in which teaching of the highest quality is delivered. It also promotes the rights, health and safety of all learners, teachers and parents.

National School Safety Framework
The National School Safety Framework has been developed and serves as a management tool for provincial and district officials tasked with the responsibility to ensure health and safety in schools for learners, teachers, principals, senior management team members and student governing body members.

The framework aims to identify and manage any risks and threats of violence that currently exist, or that may exist in future, both in and around schoolsNational Strategy for Prevention and Management

The National Strategy for Prevention and Management of alcohol and drug use among learners in schools is valid, too. Statistically, schools tend to mirror the communities that surround them and curbing drug use in schools could potentially prevent that within communities, rendering them safe for all citizens.

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Regulations for safety measures at public schools and prevention of sexual violence and harassment

According to the Regulations for Safety Measures at all Public Schools, the minister has declared that all public schools are drug-free zones in addition to being zones free of dangerous weapons.

Sexual harassment and acts of violence negatively impact learning environments, and they create an atmosphere of both fear and aggression. Learners should not be exposed to such conditions as part of their learning experience.

For this reason, the Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Sexual Violence and Harassment were developed and distributed to all schools. It aims to provide schools and communities with the necessary knowledge to respond promptly in cases where sexual harassment and/or violence against learners occur.

The guidelines clearly indicate how public schools should treat victims of such acts and they indicate the steps that must be taken to deal with individuals who have committed such acts.

Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools - an overview
The Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools apply to all public schools within South Africa. There are no exceptions or exemptions with compliance with the provisions of these measures or any other applicable law.

The regulations cover a variety of topics and stipulate the parameters associated with the following components:

The violence and drug-free status of all schools.
Access to public school premises.
Exemption of certain persons.
Visits to public schools by public and political office bearers.
Visits to public schools by parents.
School activities.
Organisation of a school activity.
Consent.
Transport.
Physical activities.
Emergency and fire procedures.
Early release from school.
Delegation of powers, and
General regulations.

What is the importance of such regulations and why must health and safety in schools be managed effectively?

Health and safety in schools must be managed to provide learners, teachers and visitors to the school with a health and safe environment.

Health and safety in schools is as important as it is in all other workplaces. All members of the school community have a responsibility towards ensuring a school environment that is healthy and safe, for themselves as well as others.

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