Knysna-Plett Herald | Safety and security at schools

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Safety and security at schools
14:30 (GMT+2), Tue, 22 February 2011

In order to improve safety and security at schools, the Western Cape education department has developed a plan to ensure that all schools in the province eventually have the relevant security infrastructure needed for that school.

At the end of 2009 it was decided that the original 109 schools, as identified in 2006, as being ‘at risk’ would form the base of the plan to secure all the schools in the province. Last year an additional 50 schools were selected to receive core security packages and currently the WCED is identifying a further 50 schools for this plan for the 2011/2012 year.
Once selected, the WCED will make available various security infrastructure to 209 schools. Each of the 50 schools chosen will complete a safety audit and a priority list with their security needs. The WCED will then make available infrastructure such as the installation of alarm systems, the upgrading of existing alarm systems linked to armed response, burglar proofing such as safety gates and razor wire, and hand-held metal detectors.

Western Cape minister of education Donald Grant emphasised that not all of the schools in the programme are considered to be ’high risk’. "The risks and hazards at each of these schools vary with some schools classified as low to medium risk schools. For example, not all the schools had problems with learner violence or gangsterism, some schools had incidents with burglary and vandalism, while others had not yet experienced any major crimes and were chosen as a precautionary measure because of their proximity to hotspot crime areas." Grant said schools are identified based on a number of factors, including the number of incidents reported to the safe schools call centre and the SAPS, priorities as listed by the district, and crime patterns in and around the area.

Four of these schools fall in the Eden and Central Karoo education district.