The department has also received 21 reports of learners and teachers being robbed in and around schools since the beginning of the year.
“My questions came after two girls fell victim to robbery at gunpoint during a recent oversight visit I conducted at schools in Valhalla, Centurion, at the start of matric exams,” says DA constituency head of Centurion, Solly Msimanga MPL.
“The principal informed me that similar incidents had happened twice in less than two weeks.”
The department claims to still be collating the Rand value of the equipment stolen during these robberies.
They also indicate in their reply that they have a plan to combat this disturbing crime trend with extra patrollers and the installation of CCTV monitoring at high risk schools.
“However, little appears to have been done in response to so many schools targeted over the course of one year; as 2014 comes to a close, these plans are too little, too late for many of the victims,” says Msimanga.
“I will be following up with the departments of education and community safety to ensure that these plans are followed through and that we ensure a safer learning environment for our youth in 2015.” – @IschkeBoksburg
