Over 30 Gauteng schools fail safety assessments

2026-03-24 - 07:20

The safety of school environments and the cost of providing that security have been questioned by a member of the provincial legislature. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) provided the number of schools where safety protocols were lacking, but pointed out that the situation was improving. Assessments showed that at least 34 schools fell short of some aspects of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, while also not meeting safety standards mandated by national policy. Safety in this instance refers to the protection of pupils against violence and harm, not the structural conditions of the schools. School safety checklists The information was revealed by the DA’s Shadow MEC for Education, Sergio Isa Dos Santos, on Monday via the GDE’s written response to questions on the matter. The OHS Act mandates the safety of employees, with the GDE’s response stating that school safety compliance was guided by the National School Safety Framework The National School Safety Framework’s “diagnostic tool” has a 36-point preparedness checklist for schools to consider, as well as a 51-point audit checklist for SGB’s and safety committees to meet. Items on the 51-point checklist include the fencing of school grounds, maintenance records, identification cards issued to visitors, graffiti-free toilets, and drug and weapon-free zone signage. The GDE confirmed that 34 schools across the province failed this metric during assessments done in the 2024-25 financial year. However, this number was down from 46 schools in the 2022-23 financial year. “All schools have safety committees and the GDE is reprioritising safety committees after the recent elections of school governing body members,” the GDE’s response stated. Cost of employing guards Regarding the presence of security personnel on school grounds, the GDE stated there were patrollers assigned to each school and a minimum of four guards at high-risk schools. Dos Santos queried whether the “resources match the risks” in assigning five patrollers but only four guards to high-risk schools. “This contradiction raises questions about the logic of the GDE’s approach. It is deeply concerning that schools with thousands of learners have been declared non-compliant and practically unsafe,” Dos Santos stated, while requesting “meaningful interventions”. The GDE clarified that patrollers were part-time workers from a government employment scheme, while guards were hired at the province’s cost. “Security companies are deployed on a needs basis. Most schools have patrollers, and they form part of the Extended Public Works Programme of the Department of Community Safety. “The [private security] cost will vary according to the size and the risk of the school, with a minimum of R68 000 per month,” the GDE confirmed. First aid at schools The OHS Act also mandates the presence of staff equipped to perform first aid, with the GDE stating, after the safety assessments, that further steps were being taken to ensure compliance. “While the law requires one trained first aider per 100 staff members, we train three to four staff members per school to ensure continuity when personnel leave due to promotion, retirement, or other reasons,” the department said. As of August last year, the GDE claimed it had trained 315 staff members in the past three years, adding that at least 116 schools had at least one first aider on site. “These first aiders, drawn from each school’s School Safety Committee, are equipped with Level 1 accredited training, valid for three years, enabling them to respond to health emergencies while awaiting professional EMS services,” stated the department. NOW READ: Outcry as Gauteng scraps school security