By Charmaine Ndlela
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has raised concern over persistent safety challenges in schools, reporting more than 4,600 incidents of violence and over 4,100 cases of vandalism across the province over the past five years.
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile released the figures during a school safety media briefing held at the Gauteng Gambling Board in Bramley, Johannesburg, on Sunday.
The department said Gauteng remains one of the country’s major crime hotspots, with 118,311 crimes recorded in 2026 — accounting for 26% of all crimes nationally.
Research by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention shows a direct link between community crime levels and incidents in schools.
During the same period, nearly 400 cases of sexual misconduct and about 1,400 search-and-seizure incidents involving prohibited items were recorded at schools.
“These numbers are a concern because they indicate that our schools are under threat,” Maile said.
The department said incidents have fluctuated year-on-year, but violence, vandalism, substance-related offences and learner misconduct remain major disruptions to teaching and learning.
Maile said the provincial department is working with the South African Police Service (SAPS) under a 10-point protocol signed in 2025 to strengthen safety measures in schools.
“The protocol allows us to improve reporting, monitoring, searches and seizures, and to ensure we are able to collect and analyse information consistently so that targeted interventions can be implemented where they are needed most,” he said.
He added that school safety challenges reflect broader social conditions affecting communities.
“Crime, violence, substance abuse and social instability continue to affect our communities and increasingly find expression within our school environments. This is why our Thuto Pele campaign, under the theme ‘It Takes a Village to Raise a Child’, seeks to mobilise communities to become active partners in protecting our schools and learners,” Maile said.
He stressed that safe schools are essential for effective teaching and learning.
“Learners cannot learn effectively in environments characterised by fear, intimidation and violence. Equally, educators cannot teach optimally in unsafe conditions. Safe schools are therefore not only a security imperative, but an educational imperative,” he said.
Community consultations under the Thuto Pele campaign have highlighted ongoing concerns, including bullying, learner-on-learner violence, substance abuse, theft, vandalism and crime around school premises.
Parents also raised concerns about learner safety on their way to and from school.
The department said school safety efforts also include mental health and psychosocial support.
Through a partnership with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), more than 11,000 learners and over 150 educators took part in mental health awareness and suicide prevention programmes in April 2026.
The Teddy Bear Foundation supported more than 100 schools with trauma and abuse interventions, while the Isibindi Ezikoleni Programme reached over 35,000 learners through awareness campaigns and support services.
A comprehensive environmental analysis by the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance assessed more than 1,300 schools in Gauteng and identified 245 high-risk institutions requiring targeted intervention.
It found that gang violence, bullying, substance abuse, theft, vandalism, sexual harassment and surrounding criminal activity remain key safety threats in schools.
To address these challenges, the department has installed CCTV systems at 606 schools and strengthened partnerships with SAPS, alongside expanded mental health programmes.
Maile said interventions must be guided by evidence and community input.
“We remain committed to ensuring that school safety interventions are informed by evidence, community engagement and the lived experiences of learners, educators and parents,” he said.
He added that school safety goes beyond security.
“It is also a learner development issue, a community development issue and ultimately an educational quality issue.”
The department said it is reviewing its School Safety Strategy, with a revised framework expected later this year.
The updated strategy will focus on prevention, early intervention, improved coordination and technology-driven solutions.
Maile said the safety of learners and educators remains non-negotiable, calling on parents, school governing bodies, faith-based organisations and civil society to play an active role in protecting schools and strengthening safe learning environments.
INSIDE EDUCATION
