School violence in South Africa in the spotlight

The issue of school violence is in the spotlight in South Africa as such incidents seem to be escalating at a rapid pace. 

According to a Sunday newspaper article, authorities in Limpopo are dealing with 942 cases, and a number of transgressions like attempted murder, stabbings, assault, intimidation, theft, drug dealing, sexual violence, cyberbullying were reported. In Gauteng and Western Cape, there were 531 and 126 reports respectively.

According to a study by the University Of South Africa (UNISA) titled The Dynamics of violence in Schools in South Africa 2012, school violence is widely held to have become a serious problem in recent decades in many countries, especially where weapons such as guns or knives are involved. It includes violence between school students as well as physical attacks by students on school staff.

More recent research has linked the school environment to school violence. Teacher assaults were associated with a higher percentage of male faculty, a higher proportion of male students, and a higher proportion of students receiving free or reduced-cost lunches.

In a radio interview, National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (NAPTOSA) president, Basil Manuel, said he believes that there are methods to support teachers, but whether those methods are enough is another matter.

He says the figures quoted are under-reported. Teachers are ashamed to admit that they are unable to deal with these kinds of incidents from pupils, he adds.

Speaking to the Director of Mathews Phosa College in Nelspruit, Allan Sheppard, he says such incidents are unfortunate. 

'The school (Mathews Phosa College) has a no-nonsense policy when it comes to school violence," says Sheppard. 

Weighing in on this 'worrying trend' topic, the Department of Basic Education says it has measures in place to ensure pupils are held accountable for their actions.

The step-by-step process to be followed by the department in disciplining pupils who attack teachers at schools is:

• The pupil is suspended from school for five days.

• After five days of suspension, a disciplinary hearing is held.

• When the hearing is concluded‚ the pupil is sanctioned.