SAFETY AND SECURITY CHALLENGES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

Background:

The challenge of safety and security in schools across the globe is very important to both teachers and learners as it creates an environment which promotes the physical, emotional, and social well-being of the stakeholders and has a bearing on the teaching and learning process. Schools in South Africa have been influenced by the macro-environmental variables, undesirable events, and behaviours such as drug addiction, violence, gangsterism, child abuse, bullying and the like. Public secondary schools in South Africa are witnessing high cases of incidents that disturb and threaten the safety and security in schools which is negatively impacting effective teaching and learning. To ensure safety and security in schools, it is very important to determine the security problems and challenges and find the solutions for tackling them. Therefore, this study investigated the safety and security challenges faced by selected public secondary schools within the Pinetown District in South Africa.

Objectives:

The study assessed the safety and security of the selected public secondary schools in Pinetown District. In addition, the study also examined the challenges that influence the security and safety of the selected public secondary schools.

Method:

Through qualitative research, this study investigated the safety and security challenges faced by public secondary schools in the Hammarsdale Circuit in Pinetown District, KwaZulu Natal Province. Purposive sampling was used to select the 5 teachers, 5principals, 10 students, and 5 members of governing bodies. The primary data was collected using interviews and focus groups.

Results:

Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative primary data to identify emerging themes on the safety and security challenges faced by selected public secondary schools within the Pinetown District. The findings revealed that gangsterism, weapons, bullying, as well as alcohol and drug abuse, are the major challenges that affected the safety and security of the selected public secondary schools. In addition, the findings also revealed that the selected schools had mechanisms in place to mitigate the identified challenges. However, the measures fall short of ensuring the safety and security of teachers and learners.

 Conclusion:

The study concluded that the selected public secondary schools in Pinetown District were facing numerous safety and security challenges. This implies that the stakeholders in the education sector need to have a comprehensive approach to tackling the safety and security challenges in public schools.

Keywords: Safety, security, schools