Teachers’ union, South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has met with the Deputy Education Minister, Enver Surty in Cape Town, to highlight matters of abuse and violence affecting both teachers and learners.
The meeting looked at issues facing teachers in the Western Cape – particularly safety and protection.
Classrooms and schools have become violent and dangerous for both teachers and learners.
Sadtu Provincial Secretary Jonavon Rustin says teachers are suffering in such an environment.
“We just heard a testimony of a teacher who got shot at school in Khayelitsha after teaching extra classes and locking the class. We got an incident of a learner who assaulted an educator, the parents mobilized the community as the teacher was chased out of that community and can’t go back. We are saying this is not supposed to happen.”
Although Surty is concerned about the spate of violent attacks he has also condemned any corporal punishment at schools.
He has sympathised with teachers whom are left vulnerable to the violence.
He has called for a societal hands-on approach, calling on parents to also be hands-on in addressing this scourge of violence in schools.
“The law allows search and seizures, because children cannot come to school with weapons and drugs. Therefore they can be tested at school and the fourth element is the collaboration between the police and the schools. We do have protocol with SAPS and basic education, where police adopt a school and are available immediately. We must work on a closer synergy between SAPS and schools.”
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