School Safety & the Integrated School Health Programme

Presentation to the Select Committee on Education and Recreation

26 February 2014

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Dr Shermain Mannah Dr Faith Kumalo

Acting Chief Director Chief Director

Social Inclusion & Partnerships Care & Support in Schools

School Safety Programme

Overview • Guiding Principles

• Violence in South African Schools

• Current evidence on school violence

• Key Findings of the NSVS Study 2012

• DBE Response to School Safety

– Ecological Model Explained– Current Programmes – Focus of the DBE-SAPS Protocol– Progress on implementation of the Protocol– Programmes in Progress – Integrating School Safety across the Curriculum & Teacher

Development

• Conclusion

Guiding Principles

NDP & Action Plan 2014-Towards Vision 2015

Goal 10 ► Ensure learners remain effectively enrolled in school up to 15 years

Goal 22 ► Improve parent and community participation in the governance of schools

Goal 24 ► Ensure that the environment of every school inspires learners to want to come to school and learn, and teachers to teach

Violence in Schools: Perception and Reality

Current Evidence on Violence in Schools• Leverage on existing research and data- work closely

with different institutions & departments, for example: South African Council of Educators (SACE), Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP), South African Human Rights Commission, Dept of Justice & Constitutional Development, Dept. of Social Development etc.

• In 2008, CJCP conducted first baseline study on school violence and conducted a follow up study in 2012.

• The 2008 study found that 22% of the secondary school learners surveyed had succumbed to some form of violence in the 12 months preceding the study.

Violence in South African Schools • The initial baseline study revealed most schools had

similar safety and security challenges, which were grouped as follows:Physical infrastructure and equipment Safety and SecurityManagement and GovernancePartnership

• The second NSVS study (2012) revealed that although violence is still high, it has remained constant (22.2% in 2012)

• It provided data on the sites of violence, the hot-spots and gendered nature of sexual assault

• This allows for targeted interventions and responses

Key Findings of the CJCP NSVS (2012)

• The study sample comprised 5,939 learners, 121 principals and 239 educators.

• In total, more than a fifth of learners had experienced violence at school.

• 12.2% had been threatened with violence by someone at school

• 6.3% had been assaulted• 4.7% had been sexually assaulted or raped• 4.5% had been robbed at school.

KEY FINDINGS CONT. • 20% scholars had experienced some form of

cyber bullying violence in the past year.

• Violence at schools was often not a once-off encounter.

• Violence was not limited to incidents between learners

• The classroom is the primary site of victimization

• Educators were also often victims of verbal violence (52.1%), physical violence (12.4%) and sexual violence (3.3%) perpetrated by learners.

Perpetrators of violence

Threats Assault Sexual assault

Robbery Theft

School teacher 6.8 25.0 3.9 9.1 6.9

School pupil 90.3 69.8 90.9 86.0 91.3

Family member 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.4 0.7

Other person of authority

1.0 3.7 0.4 2.1 0.8

Person from outside of the school

0.7 0.6 0.0 0.7 0.0

Gang member 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0

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Location of violence

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Threats Assault Sexual assault

Robbery Theft

Classrooms 44.3 51.0 54.2 60.2 91.5

School gate area 1.0 0.6 0.0 0.8 0.0

Playing fields 25.0 24.8 13.2 14.0 4.6

Corridors 11.1 5.0 11.4 7.2 1.1

Toilets 4.1 5.5 12.5 6.8 0.3

Other open grounds 13.5 11.8 6.6 6.4 1.0

Halls 1.0 0.6 0.4 1.1 0.2

Principal’s office 0.0 0.6 0.0 3.4 0.6

DBE Response to violence in schools

The DBE response to school safety is underpinned by the following:

• School violence is undergirded by a myriad of individual, school, family and broader community-level risk factors that coalesce to create vulnerability for violence.

• Any attempt to curb violence occurring in schools needs to extend beyond the school itself.

• Parental & Community support, including prevention and early intervention are the most reliable and cost-effective ways to support school safety

DBE Response to violence in schools

The DBE uses an ecological model to address violence in schools

Ecological Model Explained

Levels Parameters for Interventions

Individual Focus on personal history that creates vulnerability violence e.g. low self esteem, abuse. Interventions focus on modifying cognitive and social skills and behaviour practices by providing social development programmes, psychosocial services and curriculum development.

Relationships Risk factors include interactions with family members, peers and intimate partners e.g. dysfunctional families.Strategies to reduce risks are: providing psychosocial support (individual, family, group therapy). Educational and peer based support programs.

Community Focus on schools, communities where social relationships start to develop. Risk factors include a violent school culture, easy access to weapons and substances within the school etc. Interventions mobilizing the community, improve educator skills, reduce the availability of weapons & substances.

Societal Societal factors create an environment that encourages or deter violence. Risk factors include: poverty and inequality, a culture of violence, and youth unemployment. At this level, policies that look at health, the economy, education and social are important.

Current Programmes• School safety & the prevention of crime is a

shared mandate, hence DBE collaborates with other relevant departments

• In 2011 the DBE & SAPS signed a protocol to reduce crime and violence in schools and in communities

• The Strategic Objective of this Protocol is to create Safe, Caring and Child Friendly Schools, and address incidents of crime and violence in a holistic and integrated manner

THE FOCUS OF THE DBE-SAPS PROTOCOL

• To strengthen Safe School Committees in addressing crime and violence in schools as part of its mandate

• To assume an active role as a member of Safe School Committees

• To link all schools to local Police Stations

• To raise awareness amongst children and young learners regarding crime and violence and its impact on individuals, families and education

• To mobilize communities to take ownership of schools

• To encourage the establishment of reporting systems at schools and,

• To implement school-based crime prevention programmes in collaboration with provincial, district/local officials responsible for school safety

Progress on implementation of the Protocol

• Thus far close to 15 000 schools linked to police stations have been verified by the DBE

• School Safety Committees comprising of SGB members, educators and a police official will receive training this year on the implementation of the Protocol

• The SAPS-DBE Protocol is being integrated into the DBE’s social cohesion programme

• Community School Safety Dialogues with SAPS will be rolled out in the new financial year

Current Programmes Cont.• Developed training manuals for provincial and district officials, principals,

school management teams, school governing bodies, teachers and learners on the Prevention and Management of Bullying, including cyber-bullying in schools.

• Training was rolled out nationally last year and currently provinces have a total of 1387 master trainers

• Specific effort have been made to include schools for learners with special needs

• Provinces have submitted implementation plans for the roll out of training which will be monitored by the national office

• Developed E-Safety Guidelines to address cyber-bullying & pamphlets on School Safety tips for parents and teachers, cyber & homophobic bullying & gangsterism and distributed to provinces electronically

In Progress

• Developing an integrated and multi-disciplinary National School Safety Framework: including GBV, Drug & alcohol abuse etc.

• Integrate school safety plans into local development & safety plans: School Safety Committees at the local level will work closely with Community Based Police Forums & other local crime prevention initiatives

• Monitoring and Evaluation: The framework will be supported by a clear implementation roll out plan, standardized school safety indicators and accessible tools for schools.

• Evidence-based prevention Strategy: develop a data base on school violence prevention initiatives which will be evidence-based and implement these best practices in targeted areas

Integrating Safety in Curriculum & Teacher Development

Curriculum & Teacher Development:• Rights and Responsibilities: BOR & Teacher

training manual• Values in Action Training manual• Gender Empowerment – Speak Out against Abuse• GEM/BEM Clubs• Sports for Development• Building Social Cohesion• Peer Education and Life skills• National Strategy on Prevention & Management of

Alcohol and Drug use• School Governing Bodies & RCLs• Partnerships

Conclusion

• Addressing violence cannot be solely addressed at one level.

• Like the 2008 NSVS study, the 2012 NSVS highlighted the extent to which family and community factors intersect with the levels of violence occurring at schools.

• School violence has deep societal origins. Thus, safe community and broader societal environments are prerequisites for safe schools.

• Thus, any response geared towards creating a safe and supportive school environment needs to identify locally the risk and protective factors and put mechanisms in place to address these. School violence is a societal issue that requires a collaborative and whole school approach.

Integrated School Health Programme

Outline of presentation

• Background

• Achievements

• Challenges

• Plans for 2014/15 FY

• Best practices

• Conclusion

Background• June 2009: Minister of BE reached agreement with

Minister of Health to implement school health screening for Grade 1 learners in 2010– health assessment package included screening for

vision, hearing & oral health• 2009: Joint Task Team DBE & DOH formed.

Implemented School Health Weeks March & October from 2010

• Feb 2011: Minister of BE requested extension of programme to: – all Grade 1 learners– learners repeating grades– referrals by educators and/or parents – Incrementally provide services to all learners

Background continued

• August 2012 - ISHP Joint task team between DBE, DOH and DSD, overseen by the DDGs in DBE & DOH. Participation by NGOs & development partners

• Strengths– High level political commitment

• 11 October 2012: ISHP launched by President, Tshwane, GP: ‘ISHP a revolution?’

• March 2014: HPV vaccination to be launched, Mangaung, FS

• SONA: School Health Services •

Achievements: Inter-sectoral collaboration National level

•Regular TT meetings•Provide support to ISHP implementation at provincial level•Intergovernmental Protocol drafted •Guidelines for principals and service providers to engage with schools developed, training provided•(Draft) Guidelines for SGBs to consult on ISHP Provincial /district level •PTT in NC, WC, EC, KZN, MP, LP, FS•All provinces developed joint implementation plans for 2013/14; draft 2014/15

Support to Provinces

• Interprovincial meetings held –27-28 Feb 2012, 10-11 Apr 2013, 28-29 Jan 2014

•Extensive school level monitoring•Support for development of provincial implementation plans

•Strengthening PTT, DTT•DBE provided 1897 scales, 2025 stadiometers, 14659 snellen charts (EU funding)

•PEDs purchased screens, snellen charts, scales, stadiometers, duplication of reporting, consent forms through HIV & AIDS Life Skills Education Programme Conditional Grant

•DOH purchased state-of-the art mobiles for 11 NHI pilot districts

Defined Target Group

Screened once per educational phase:

•Grade 1: early intervention •Grade 4: before onset of puberty (health education)

•Grade 8: transition from primary to secondary school (increased risk behaviours)

•Grade 10: Drop out increases–risk factor for early pregnancy & HIV

•Learners repeating grades, & in special schools: identify health barriers to learning

Defined Health Services Package

• Health screening (vision, hearing, nutritional status, TB)

• onsite services (immunisation, minor ailments) • health education• environmental assessment

For older learners SRH services (HCT, contraception incl. condoms,

screening for STIs & pregnancy, education on MMC)NB: SRH services provided by a professional nurse,

private & confidential

Human and other resources

• Provincial Coordinators for DOH, DBE, some DSD

• School health teams (RN & ENA-2 nurses, oral hygienist & health promoter)

- norm: 1 school health team per 2,000 targeted learners

- Increased number of teams; NEED MORE • Training manual for nurses developed & training on ISHP provided to all provinces

• Advocacy Material developed

Mobiles procured by DOH

PHC Mobile

PHC mobile

School Health Teams

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School Health TeamsProvince Number of teamsEC 60FS 19GP 58KZN 180LP 52MP 16NC 7NW 21WC 45RSA 423

Advocacy Materials developed

• Information leaflets on school health screening

• Vision, hearing, oral health & speech impairments for educators & parents

• Information leaflets for parents, learners on ISHP

• Immunisation & de-worming for educators & parents

• Advocacy leaflets for educators, parents & learners on alcohol and drug abuse

• Advocacy leaflets for educators, parents & learners on TB (draft)

Parental involvement and consent

• Active parental consent for all learners & learner assent (12 years & older)

• Voluntary participation• Information leaflets, health education translated in all official languages

• Consultations with SGBs• Parents encouraged to accompany learners when school health teams come

Achievements continued

Data for 2013 April-December only

Challenges

• Equipment not sufficient, especially audiometers

• Credible data and timely reporting • Human Resources: DSD to appoint

Provincial Coordinators, DOH: more school health teams (nurses, social workers, child and youth care workers), DBE needs dedicated ISHP officials

• Lack of funding

ISHP Partners• Colgate Palmolive provided health education to

679 304 learners in 2013/14• Transnet- Phelophepa Train provides health

screening and services to learners• UNICEF funded 5 Year Strategy, TB awareness

programme, health promotion material, support the development of implementation plans in EC

• CDC funded Interprovincial meetings• CIE provided health services to 598 learners in

2013/14 in deep rural areas• VODACOM to develop service delivery & reporting

model for mobile units• Bona Bolo to provide glasses to 8 schools in NW• Spec Savers, Ster Kinekor provides glasses to

learners in GP, NC, FS provinces• LoveLife supports health education• And many others………………….

Best practices

• The ISHP is overseen by the DDGs of DBE & DOH

• Example of inter-departmental collaboration

• Monthly task team meetings held

• Strong SGB and community involvement

• Partnerships extend the reach of the ISHP

Plans for 2014/15 •Targets for 2014/15

–Grade 1 (all quintiles) –Grades 4, 8, 10 quintile 1-2–Learners in special schools, repeating grades–HPV for Grade 4 girls–8 ECF pilot districts •Stronger Inter-sectoral collaboration• Full implementation of the health services package • Functional Referral Systems

•Must ensure services provided, beyond screening

•Data collection & reporting (evidence) •Psychosocial Support •Resources

Conclusion• Since 2010 huge strides have been made in

programme development & expanding • Strategy for universal coverage of all learners in

ISHP is being developed, based on global evidence of best practice and our own experience

• Strong political leadership and support • ISHP mechanism to deliver on Outcome 1 and 2 of

government (Quality Basic Education and A Long and Healthy Life for All South Africans)

• Can build on achievements made thus far

Website: www.education.gov.zaCall Centre: 0800 202 933 | callcentre@dbe.gov.za

Twitter: @DBE_SA | Facebook: DBE SA

Thank You kumalo.f@dbe.gov.za

mannah.s@dbe.gov.za