Latest news with #ThutoLesediSecondarySchool
The Herald
4 days ago
- The Herald
Gauteng pulls security guards from high-risk schools
The Gauteng education department has withdrawn security guards from high-risk schools across the province with immediate effect. A notice sent by the department to school principals and security service providers did not explain the reasons for the withdrawal, but stated that no guarding services would be allowed to operate without official purchase order numbers. The notice, dated August 6, and seen by the Sowetan, was issued by Zondi Nkuna, acting director of security services management. This development comes just a week after the principal of Thuto-Lesedi Secondary School in Vosloorus had to be temporarily removed by the department after a brutal bullying incident that left a grade 8 pupil hospitalised with serious facial injuries on July 23. The incident triggered protests by other schools in the area, demanding accountability from the school management and accusing them of being powerless against bullying. Earlier this month, a pupil from a school in Mamelodi, Tshwane, was fatally stabbed by another pupil at the school after a heated altercation. The Gauteng education department had previously identified at least 75 schools as 'extreme high-risk' zones, spanning Johannesburg Central, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni. In response to rising incidents of school violence, the department launched a series of school safety imbizos to gather input from communities and stakeholders. These engagements produced recommendations such as the installation of CCTV cameras, structured after-school activities, and the deployment of trained patrollers instead of outsourced private security. Questions were sent to the education department on Thursday afternoon, but the spokesperson had not responded by the time this article was published. SowetanLIVE
The Herald
6 days ago
- The Herald
A simple code of conduct is a starting point to stop bullying, says Naptosa
A simple code of conduct that is enforceable, where everyone knows what is expected of them in terms of behaviour and dress code, could be the starting point to end bullying at schools. This is according to Basil Manuel from the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (N aptosa), on the back of the recent violent bullying incidents at two schools, in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. One incident was at Thuto-Lesedi Secondary School in Vosloorus after which a 16-year-old pupil had to undergo facial surgery. He was attacked on July 23 by a group of older pupils at the school after refusing to hand over a bag containing sweets he was selling at school. In another incident, a video has gone viral showing a male pupil from David Mama Senior Secondary School in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, assaulting a girl on a school bus. 'I have said to principals, if your code of conduct can't be memorised by every teacher, and in turn by every pupil, it's too long and it has too many nonsensical issues [then it's useless],' Manuel said. He said a code of conduct must be such that you can quote 10 or 20 lines of it and it becomes simple to enforce. ' But if you have to check and research your own protocol, then it's useless. 'The bottom line is that we have a beginning. We are far from reaching a point where everything works. We can only get, say, if everybody is running in the same direction and let's face it, there will always be people who think they should run in the opposite direction,' he said. He said the tide becomes stronger when more people are running in one direction and those in the opposite direction are eventually forced to change. The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) condemned the incidents, which it said highlight the growing violence in schools, despite the existence of codes of conduct which should guide appropriate behaviour and discipline among pupils. 'Sadtu is concerned that such measures are failing to protect vulnerable learners and create a culture of respect and safety. It is evident that more must be done to instil values of empathy, caring and tolerance among learners,' it said. Sadtu said schools cannot fight this scourge alone and reiterated the need for active involvement of parents, community members, teachers, pupils and government departments in creating a safe and nurturing school environment.
