Gauteng departments urge parents to prioritise child safety during winter school holidays

Parents, guardians and caregivers in Gauteng have been urged to step up supervision and safety measures during the winter school holidays, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety and the Gauteng Department of Education said in a joint statement.

When the break runs

Public schools in Gauteng closed on Friday, 26 June and are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, 21 July.

Why vigilance is needed

The departments said pupils are likely to spend more time outdoors, travelling, visiting family and friends or taking part in recreational activities during the break, making adult supervision and vigilance essential. In a joint statement issued on Monday, they called on parents and caregivers to

“remain vigilant and take practical measures to ensure that their children are protected and safe throughout the entirety of these holidays”.

Practical safety advice from the departments

The departments advised parents to supervise children at all times and ensure children know where they are. They also encouraged parents to teach children their home address, their parents’ full names and their cellphone numbers by heart in case of an emergency.

Other specific safety recommendations include:

• Keep children within sight or under the supervision of a trusted adult.
• Educate children about road safety and the importance of using designated pedestrian crossings.
• Prevent children from playing near busy roads, rivers, dams, construction sites and abandoned buildings.
• Monitor children’s online activities and educate them about “the dangers of interacting with strangers on social media and other platforms”.
• Consider enrolling children in safe, structured recreational, educational or sporting activities during the holiday period.

Community role and reporting

The departments emphasised that protecting children is not the responsibility of parents alone. They said:

“We remain of the firm belief that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and, accordingly, the safety of all Gauteng’s children is the responsibility of all members of the community – from parents, teachers, police officers, street vendors to community patrollers, to mention a few.”

Residents were urged to report child abuse, neglect, exploitation, cases of missing children or criminal activity to their nearest police station and to support community safety initiatives during the holiday period.

Well wishes for the break

The departments concluded by wishing pupils, teachers and parents “a safe and enjoyable school holiday”.