NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 189
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04/05/2012
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/2012)
Mr D B Feldman (COPE-Gauteng) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) Whether, with reference to a recent Baseline Monitoring Report
survey in April 2012 (details furnished), she will put any
measures in place to deal with the growing and the high number
of young potential (a) alcoholics and (b) rapists in the
country; if not, why not; if so, what measures;
(2) whether her department is seeking to identify potentially good
role models to serve as positive examples for children; if not,
what challenges is her department experiencing in this regard;
if so, what are the relevant details? CW251E
RESPONSE
Question 1
The Department recognises that preventative measures are necessary in
dealing with the social ills that have been identified. Further, the
Department believes that much of these social ills can be addressed through
a careful reappraisal of our value systems and ethical code as a country.
These value systems are articulated in our Constitution, specifically the
Bill of Rights. We therefore need to inculcate a sense of what it means to
be a good citizen, including attendant rights and obligations to this claim
to this citizenship.
In that regard, the Department launched a campaign on Rights and
Responsibilities, ably supported by the Lead SA campaign of the Primedia
Group and religious formations. Since the launch in March last year, the
Department elicited activations in the news media spearheading the dialogue
on rights and corresponding obligations to fellow citizens. In addition,
the Department has ensured that the Bill of Responsibilities is a specific
area of focus in the Life Orientation learning area.
The Department has also distributed material to all districts via the
provincial departments of education on the teachersâ manual on rights and
responsibilities. The manual is an assistive guide to teachers on how they
can make the subject of rights and responsibilities come alive in the
classroom irrespective of the learning area/subject and the Grade. In
essence, the rights and responsibilities campaign seeks to engender the
fundamental values on which our Constitution is premised. This is a long
term project and we hope that the ultimate result will be a youth and young
adult population that respects the dignity of all, including women who have
often fallen victims of sexual abuse and violence.
Sexual violence and abuse is a social ill and phenomenon that is not only a
challenge that should concern the Department of Basic Education but all of
society. As a way to provide practical support to learners who fall prey to
sexual predators, the Department published the handbook âSpeak Outâ, which
was distributed to all schools. The handbook is a practical assistive
resource, written in plain language for learnersâ easy access. The handbook
gives practical step-by-step guide to learners, educators, and parents on
how to deal with rape and sexual violence in the unfortunate event that it
occurs.
Provinces are implementing a drug and substance abuse prevention and
management programme that is primarily implemented via the curriculum
through the Life Orientation learning area. This is supported by co-
curricular activities implemented through Peer Education programmes. In
order to strengthen the response to alcohol and drug abuse, the Department
is in the process of finalizing a National Strategy for the Prevention and
Management of Substance Abuse amongst Learners in Schools.
The Strategy adopts a public health approach and involves interventions to
creating an enabling environment for policy implementation, prevention
interventions, early detection and treatment, care and support. It must be
noted that while some learners experiment with alcohol and drug use, the
majority do not. Hence the thrust of interventions by the Department are on
the prevention of alcohol and drug use. However, partnerships are set up
with other government departments and non-governmental organizations to
facilitate access to treatment, care and support where required.
Question 2
Potentially good role models reside in communities where schools are
situated, communities where learners come from. These are the upcoming and
unsung heroes that learners could look up to. The best way to identify them
is through schools themselves. School Principals and Educators that are
championing the Peer Education programme in schools are at liberty to
identify these positive personalities in their local contexts.