Chairperson, violence in our schools and underperforming public schools are issues of national concern. The Bill is an attempt to intervene and bring about changes in these critical areas. The role of principals is also brought under the spotlight, especially as it relates to school governing bodies and other matters relating to school administration.
With respect to violence in schools, the carrying of what has been determined to be dangerous weapons is prohibited from being allowed onto the school grounds. Teachers will be given the right to randomly search learners based on fair and reasonable grounds of suspicion validating such action.
We would, however, wish to emphasise distress to teachers who may not be regularly used to procedures relating to searching of persons. Further, it will be far better to leave such practices to trained personnel, such as police officers or others, who are not so closely associated with learners.
The education environment should be nonthreatening and learner-friendly. In a recent newspaper article, security companies are alleged to have refused to conduct patrols in townships and other high-risk areas as they fear for their own safety. For the Bill to be effective in combating crime at schools, all stakeholders should be committed to resolving the issue, otherwise the role of teachers will not only be ineffective but they may also put their lives in danger.
In order to implement the aspect of safety as proposed by the Bill, we must ensure that the police and other safety and security departments have the capacity to assist with the protection of our schools.
The reservation the FD has with the Bill is with reference to clause 16 A(4) which states that a principal in his line of duty as an educator, given any particular issue that may impact negatively on education, should be disallowed to give evidence on behalf of a governing body against the Minister and other officials when it may be in the interest of justice to do so.
Although the FD welcomes the overall merits of the Bill that seek to improve the conditions at schools, we cannot support this Bill because of clause 16 A(4), which will undermine the course of justice. I thank you.