Safe Schools? Not in South Africa as Violence Spirals Out of Control

If classrooms are meant to be safe havens, South Africa has lost its way. Schools across the country are now better described as battlegrounds, where knives, intimidation, and bullying are part of the daily routine. Despite the government’s “Safe Schools” protocol, violence is on the rise, with over 500 bullying cases already reported this year.

Gauteng School Chaos

This week, Tsakane Secondary School in Gauteng became the latest flashpoint. Five pupils and a parent were arrested after teachers and classmates were threatened with knives, blocked in passages, and shaken down for phones and cash.

The Gauteng Department of Education condemned the violence, warning: “Schools must remain centres of learning and not spaces of fear or lawlessness.” Parents were urged to step up in instilling discipline and respect a message that reflects just how deeply this crisis reaches into the home.

Violence That Doesn’t End at the Gate

But Tsakane isn’t an isolated case. In Daveyton, a teenage boy lies in hospital fighting for his life after being stabbed in class. In Mpumalanga, a pupil was killed by another learner just weeks ago.

Even school leaders are not spared: a Gauteng principal was stabbed in the hand while trying to break up a fight between rival schools, a conflict that spilled onto social media before it turned bloody.

In the Western Cape, at least 50 assaults on teachers have been recorded this year. The incidents range from verbal abuse to a shocking attack where a Grade 9 pupil hurled a brick at a teacher in Manenberg.

In the Free State, a Grade 10 learner stabbed a teacher after being reprimanded. In Randburg, a teacher is recovering after being stabbed by a Grade 8 pupil. Even primary school educators aren’t safe one Tshwane teacher is on leave after an 11-year-old pupil assaulted her.

The Social Media Amplifier

What once might have been a playground scuffle is now broadcast to the world. Videos of fights such as the seven girls from Johannesburg schools ganging up on a 14-year-old in May spread rapidly online, often celebrated rather than condemned. Social media has turned school violence into a twisted form of entertainment.

A Country at a Crossroads

For many South Africans, the growing wave of violence in schools mirrors the broader reality of a country grappling with crime, inequality, and a broken culture of discipline.

The “Safe Schools” policy may exist on paper, but in practice, classrooms remain unsafe. The question is no longer if violence will happen, but when and who will be the next victim.

Until parents, communities, and authorities act collectively, pupils and teachers alike will remain trapped in an environment of fear rather than learning.

{Source: TheCitizen}

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