Quarterly crime stats: Basic Education must increase measures to safeguard learners
21 August 2023
The first quarter crime statistics of 2023/24 have revealed that schools remain places of danger and violence and not the safe havens they are meant to be.
Between April and June this year, 19 murders and 67 rapes occurred on educational premises. Of these, 15 murders occurred on school premises, one at a creche, and 3 at tertiary institutions. 53 rapes occurred at schools, 5 at schools for learners with special education needs (LSEN), 15 at institutions of higher learning, and one at an early childhood development (ECD) centre.
It is also concerning that the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, failed to source information from her provincial departments regarding the Fourth Quarter 2022-23 crime statistics that indicated that eight murders, 14 attempted murders, 84 rapes and 238 incidents of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm occurred on the premises of educational facilities.
Taking into account that not all instances are reported, the rate of rapes and other instances of sexual abuse might be much higher. It is clear that the Department of Basic Education must do more to ensure safe environments for learners.
The DA’s basic education policy focuses on a whole of society approach to address the problem of unsafe schools.
The Western Cape’s Safe Schools Programme has various programmes that ensure safety in schools by taking into account the role of various environments in the learners’ lives that might affect their safety. The programme focuses on creating safe infrastructure that would minimise opportunities for abuse, developmental programmes to positively influence parent, teacher and learner behaviours, and ensuring the implementation of safety policies and reporting structures. We also recommend the automatic inclusion of educators who have been found guilty of abuse to the Child Protection Register, as well as dedicated psycho-social support in the 805 identified high-risk areas.
The DA will ask Minister Motshekga to account to Parliament regarding these terrible statistics, as well as her plans on keeping learners safe.
Issued by Marina van Zyl, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Basic Education, 21 August 2023
