Blog – Violence in Schools and Educational Institutions

In a series of webinars on the 7th and 8th of June, we drew from the existing evidence, experience and expertise of the civil society, academia and government sector in the prevention of violence and discussed how this could be utilised for the evidence-based implementation of the most relevant South African safety policy frameworks.

Every child has a right to education, best attainable standards of health, and protection from abuse, torture and labour which interfere with the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development. However, Covid-19 has had an adverse effect on the rights and welfare of children in Africa. For many children who now stay at home, other impending risks include harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and being forced into early (child) marriage. Domestic and sexual violence also continue to be a significant concern.

All children are vulnerable to violence, yet wealthy countries lag behind in global efforts to solve it.

Due to its multi-faceted nature, the elimination of violence in schools calls for the engagement of all members of the school community.  The whole school approach to violence prevention attempts to achieve this, addressing school violence as a collective rather than individual challenge and involving the school community, parents, organisations and the local community

Safety at schools around the country remains a big concern. In Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, a Safer Schools Network was launched as a vibrant platform for schools to discuss safety issues and find ways how to make our schools a safe and learner-friendly environment for learners and teachers.