By Johnathan Paoli
In a landmark interdepartmental initiative, the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, and the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, officially launched and signed the Collaborative Implementation Protocol on School Safety, in an effort to respond decisively to the surge in violent incidents, crime, and insecurity plaguing schools across South Africa.
Following a months-long partnership between the Basic Education department and the South African Police Service (SAPS), the protocol was signed by both ministers in Cape Town.
“This has been months in the making. We didn’t want a knee-jerk or shotgun response. We needed a systemic and coordinated approach that reflects the reality: schools are not insulated from their communities. They are extensions of them,” Gwarube said.
Grounded in community collaboration, policing data, and a shared vision of child-centred safety, the urgency of the intervention is backed by data.
According to SAPS statistics for the 2023/2024 financial year, there were: 28 murders in basic education institutions, nearly half in KwaZulu-Natal; 46% of these involved learner-on-learner violence; two-thirds of reported rapes in schools were perpetrated by learners on fellow learners; and over 11,000 burglaries, including the theft of learning materials and food from nutrition programmes.
“Even one violent incident is one too many. Behind each statistic is a child whose right to safety and education has been violated,” Gwarube said.
The newly signed protocol outlines several critical measures.
In terms of police-school linkages, each school will now be formally linked to a local police station, with a School Safety Committee comprising the principal, a staff safety officer, a school governing body (SGB) member, and a designated SAPS officer.
Schools will implement structured crime prevention programmes to address gender-based violence (GBV), gangsterism, bullying, drug abuse, and the possession of weapons.
SAPS will increase patrols around schools identified as high-risk through national crime statistics, particularly during school start and dismissal times.
In accordance with the law, SAPS officers have been given the authority to conduct search-and-seizure operations where credible threats exist.
In terms of support, victim-friendly rooms and community response forums will be established to support vulnerable learners and survivors of trauma.
The Basic Education department, in collaboration with the Department of Justice, will strengthen background checks against the National Register for Sexual Offences and the Child Protection Register.
A dedicated HR standard operating procedure (SOP) is also being introduced for managing flagged individuals.
In light of community and stakeholder integration; civil society, parents, SGBs, learners, and traditional leaders are considered vital partners in the implementation.
“Safety is a shared responsibility. Neither DBE nor SAPS can do this alone,” Gwarube said.
Mchunu hailed the signing of the protocol as a critical first step in restoring peace and dignity to schools.
“This document must not only live on paper—it must become a real, felt experience for learners, educators, and parents,” Mchunu said.
Describing schools as “sacred spaces like churches”, he expressed outrage at violent trends, including learner-on-learner assaults, gang activity, firearm possession, extortion, and even murder.
“We’ve seen drugs, illegal firearms, and horrifying acts of violence taking place where children are meant to learn and grow. We say: enough is enough,” the minister said.
Mchunu identified Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape as the primary hotspots and promised adaptive policing strategies, rather than a one-size-fits-all model.
He also called on parents to take greater accountability.
“A parent must know whether their child is going to school with a pen or a weapon. Responsibility doesn’t end at the school gate,” Mchunu said.
He further instructed station commanders across the country to maintain regular contact with school principals, share intelligence, and plan weekly interventions collaboratively.
“Schools are as important as malls or banks. They deserve real-time protection,” he said.
Basic Education Deputy Director-General Granville Whittle reaffirmed the department’s commitment to long-term change.
“Our Minister raised concerns about serious crimes reflected in police stats. We’re working closely with General Masemola and his team to strengthen school safety efforts,” Whittle said.
He noted that the Safe Schools Protocol builds on existing frameworks, including the National School Safety Framework and various reporting protocols for sexual abuse, corporal punishment, and cyberbullying.
To ensure the protocol results in action, a detailed Workplan has been developed.
This outlines concrete steps, including joint school safety audits; updating SOPs and safety frameworks; enforcing compliance with laws such as the regulation of liquor outlets near schools; and quarterly reporting to ensure accountability and adaptability.
Gwarube and Mchunu also announced plans to tour provinces to oversee local implementation and promote coordination between school leaders and police stations.
Both ministers acknowledged that school violence reflects deeper social problems including poverty, unemployment, inequality, and family dysfunction.
“We’re expanding Life Orientation to teach values, respect, and especially consent particularly to boys. Education must shape not just minds, but character,” Gwarube said.
The Safe Schools Protocol aligns with the seventh administration’s national priorities for education and is intended to ensure that no child is denied safety, dignity, or the right to learn.
“This protocol is not a silver bullet,” said Gwarube. “But it is a bold and necessary step toward restoring hope, trust, and safety in our schools.”
Mchunu closed with a firm message:
“We are drawing a line in the sand. Violence has no place in our schools. These are centres of learning, nothing else.”
With government, communities, and law enforcement united, the ministers’ hope is that South African schools can once again become places where every child can thrive.
INSIDE EDUCATION
