As the Department of Basic Education we are working and collaborating with the Department of Sports, Culture and Recreation, Department of Health, Department of Social Development and the SA Police Service. At the same time we work with moral regeneration movements in all nine provinces. As a department we have established the quality learning and teaching campaign, QLTC, structures in all provinces as well as in the districts. Each an every school governing body, SGB, has a school safety committee. The school safety committee work with the nearest police station.
As the Department of Basic Education we believe that schools need to be a safe place for our children and they need to be secured when
they are at school. In this regard we have developed a handbook titled Speak Out. Youth Report Sexual Abuse for learners on how to prevent sexual abuse in public schools. The purpose of this handbook is to equip learners with knowledge and understanding of sexual harassment and sexual violence and its implication to protect themselves from perpetrators and where to report. The handbook also provides very useful contact details of national and provincial organisations that can assist. We have also published the protocols on the managements and reporting of sexual abuse and harassment in public schools. Therefore, we are committed to making sure that all our young people are under such nurturing school environment so that they too can become active citizens in a thriving nation at peace with itself.
But the reality is that we live in a violent society therefore the violence seen at schools accentuates the dictum that schools are in fact the microcosm of a society. In this regard we convened a second school safety summit in October last year. We have since strengthened the implementation of the national school framework. This framework serves as a management tool for provincial and district officials responsible for school safety in our schools. It delineates the roles for the principal, senior management teams, SGB
members, teachers and learners so that all are able to identify and manage risks and threats of violence in and around schools.
We have also signed a protocol with the SA Police Service whereby every police station would adopt a school to deal speedily with incidences of violence and criminality within premises. What we must understand is that in a policing area we have more than 100 schools or 50 - it varies. And in the police station we don't have the number of police officers equal to the number of schools in those areas. Sometimes when there is a delay we understand as the Department of Basic Education. That's why we call upon all communities that let us work together to combat this scourge in our schools. We want to produce responsible citizens of this country, South Africa. May God bless you all! [Applause.]