Hon House Chair, hon members, our schools are meant to be a safe haven for both the learners and the teachers where learning and development takes place. The education of our learners is a societal issue and needs parents and communities to play a central role in instilling sense of right and wrong in our children.
The value of education was further emphasised by President Nelson Mandela when he said, I quote:
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, a son of a mine worker can become a head of a mine, a child of a farm worker can become the president of the great nation"
The view by Madiba is a dream we wish for South Africa for our future. It is what we should do today that determines whether the dream will be a reality. The incidents of violence in our schools are a matter of great concern. We know a story of a 17 year old learner in Zeerust who stabbed his educator to death. We know of a 15 year old learner in Eldorado Park who got arrested for pointing a finger at his educator. We know of an incident in Gauteng where a learner has stabbed and killed another learner with a pair of scissors. We know of a death of a learner at Forest High School in Johannesburg, they are not news in fiction movie but a reality of age; we cannot go on like this.
The Minister of Basic Education expressed shock and concern regarding these tragic incidents. She said it's extremely concerning and very disheartening. We have a program on an ongoing basis where we are dealing with the Department of Police and the Department of Social Development. It is quite clear that we have a big problem.
There is a correlation between high levels of criminality in the community which is transported into schools. Guns come from the communities, the knives and anger comes from the communities. We are a society that needs to sit and say what more do we need to do to support our children and the schools.
The Department of Education has developed a national school safety program whose object is to create a safety violence free and supportive learning environment to learners. The department has worked side by side with the South African Police Service to ensure school safety in our schools. The reality is that police cannot be in every school.
The issue of societies in playing a central role is ensuring safety in our communities and in our schools find itself, it's an expression in our value system ubuntu.
What happened in our humanity, what happened to the saying that a community raises a child? Where are the role models of our children? These are common views about that we are contributing factor. This is not a matter for police alone, this is not matter for educators alone, this is not matter for the department alone, it is a matter for all of us in communities. It is a matter for all of us
regardless of political views and affiliation and regardless of our different belief system.
The debate we are having today requires that we pause for a moment and ask ourselves very difficult questions. If education becomes a societal culture from a cultured society it therefore stands to reason that we can only recreate our culture through education and that education becomes our culture. We stand here as the ANC making a clarion call to all South Africans to show serious interest in our education.
If we are to realise what Madiba spoke of about education as a weapon to change the world, we lend a hand to our children's education. We remain convene that the Department of Education is trying its best in this. It is critical that in our endeavour to bring back safety in our schools, we involve all stakeholders. In addition to this, our children need good role models. We must provide mentorship to young learners, give them inspiration and ensure that violence does not happen.
In conclusion, the ANC believes that the success of these efforts realise largely on the collective effort of parents and communities
to work together with schools to ensure that all children are safe and realise their full potential in school.
Moreover, the success of this program depends on setting up mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of this program timeously to improve it with time.
Sesotho:
Moruti Meshoe, le re dikerekeng batho ba tshwanetse ba rapelle bana.
English:
We are saying to you that it takes a village to raise a child. I thank you.
IsiXhosa: