By ILSE FREDERICKS
Education Writer
NINETY-three incidents of school violence were reported during the first school term, an increase of 25 compared to the same period last year.
That's according to statistics compiled by the provincial education department's Safe Schools Division.
This year's incidents included 72 cases of violence between pupils ranging from minor "pushing and shoving" incidents to stabbings, the department said. Sixty such cases were reported during the first term last year.
There were 13 incidents of violence by pupils against their teachers this year compared to five last year.
Eight cases of violence by teachers against pupils or corporal punishment were reported this year compared to three last year.
Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said the 72 cases included 49 reports of fights between pupils during March.
At the end of March, the Cape Argus reported that a pupil from Wittebome High School in Wynberg had been filmed on a cellphone viciously attacking a classmate with a wooden table leg.
Earlier in March it was reported that police had opened cases against two Manenberg Secondary pupils.
One of the pupils was arrested after a fellow pupil was stabbed nine times.
The pupil who was arrested then opened a case against the pupil who had been stabbed, claiming that the boy had hit him while wearing a knuckle duster.
Casey said many of the reported cases were minor, which had been managed by the schools as part of normal disciplinary processes.
"However, in the context of close to one million learners attending school every day, the percentage of learners involved in such incidents is minuscule."
Emily Mabusela, manager of the youth violence prevention programme of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, said that in her experience of violence in schools, it was likely that there were significantly more cases.
Cases were not reported for a number of reasons, she said.
Pupils didn't always report cases of violence because they thought that nothing would be done about it or that they would get into trouble
Schools were more inclined to report serious cases.
Teachers could also be deterred by the red tape involved in reporting cases.
Mabusela said schools might be more inclined to report cases if they felt that they would receive assistance from their district office.
Vimla Pillay, manager of the mediation and training department at the Centre for Conflict Resolution said in her opinion there should be no incidents of violence at schools.
She said parents and teachers needed to be equipped with the right skills and alternatives to violence and this also had to be taught to children.
Casey said the provincial education department had taken a number of steps to curb school violence.
This included the use of hand-held metal detectors, which had been provided to 159 schools in the province.
Search and seizure operations for drugs and weapons were also being conducted at schools.
She said the department was developing a set of guidelines for principals to use when searches were conducted to ensure that they were in full compliance with the law and the rights of pupils were respected.
The Safe Schools Division had also organised conflict management training for school managers and teachers at selected schools during the April holidays.
Training for children had also been organised.
"Training in conflict resolution forms part of Safe Schools' ongoing support to schools. Schools typically receive training after hours and during holiday periods."
She said "attitudinal programmes", with a particular focus on gangsterism, had also been stepped up at specific schools.
"These include programmes that focus on conflict management and substance abuse."
In Cape Argus
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
