Palesa Tyobeka Department of Education 05 September 2003

Sexual Abuse of Learners: Progress Report to Joint Monitoring Committee: Children, Youth and Disabled Persons Palesa Tyobeka Department of Education 05 September 2003

Scope of report • Progress report on specific areas relating to the Department of Education, raised in the Parliamentary Task Group Report of 2002 on Abuse of Children. • Broad outline of DoE work to address the scourge of child abuse.

Challenges informing DoE plans and programmes • Child Abuse in schools often related to other anti-social behaviour: drug/alcohol abuse; gang activity; prevalence of weapons. • The more dysfunctional the school, the more child abuse occurs. • Some male educators often perpetrators • Learner perpetrators of abuse against other learners increasing • The physical infrastructure of many schools make them prime sites for acts of child abuse • Safety of girls and young boys an issue in school as well as on way to and from school

Overall Approach of DoE • Mainstream child abuse focus into work of more than one unit/directorate • Develop necessary policy framework • Develop materials and programmes • Raise awareness through campaigns • Strengthen and monitor policy implementation within system • Establish links with other departments • Assess impact

Institutional Arrangements • Child abuse initially a focus of the COLTS Campaign (1997 – 2000) • In 2001 mainstreamed into line function responsibilities of three directorates: Educational management and Governance through a school safety focus; Gender Equity and Early Childhood Development

Policy Development • All policies developed for learners – whether by DoE or with input from DoE – have been within a Restorative Justice paradigm. (Activity condemned but not the learner) • Policies for educators within a disciplinary and legal frame.

Policy Development • The Employment of Educators’ Act (no. 76 of 1998) is the basis for the DoE’s response to educators accused of sexually abusing learners • The South African Schools Act (no. 84 of 1996) protect learners while they are at school • Draft Sexual Harassment Guidelines for schools intended to establish guidelines for effective procedures to deal with sexual harassment cases in schools.

Materials developed • Signposts for Safe Schools • Opening Our Eyes • Sexual Harassment booklet for Learners, Educators and Parents • Resources for Learners

Programmes • Life Orientation within school curriculum entry point to informing and educating children through age-appropriate lessons and programmes. • The Signposts for Safe Schools booklet provides training content and support for educators, governors, parents and the police on safe schools related issues.

Programmes • Phase 1 of self-defense programme for girls and young boys completed in February 2003. 1365 educators and learners in 732 schools trained as trainers to train an average of 100 learners per 2/4 trainers. Programme being evaluated before starting on second phase

Programmes • National Safe Schools Call Centre being established to serve as source of information on the various abuses committed and reported as well as providing first line in a response and referral system. Pilots already in place in the WCED and North West.

Awareness Campaigns • Campaign to Eliminate Sexual Abuse in Learning Sites launched by Minister of Education and relevant social partners in May 2002. This being taken forward by provinces in a range of customised activities. • The Girls Education Movement (GEM) which included the launch of a Girls’ Parliament; School based activities; provincial parliament debates; establishment of girls’ own website; provincial winter and summer camps. Workshop for 135 girls and 45 boys from all 9 provinces scheduled for 19-30 September 2003.

Links outside the DoE • Strong partnerships established and programmes designed with the following: government departments: SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Department of Transport; • The same with the following parastatals and/or NGOs: CSIR, NICRO, CSVR, UNODCCP, UNICEF

Monitoring of legal and policy instruments • Joint monitoring mechanism put in place in March 2002 involving the DoE, SACE, the ELRC and the Provincial Departments of Education, with the DoE co-coordinating and feeding report to Minister and HEDCOM. • Notable improvement in both reporting and management of sexual abuse cases in provincial departments of education. Remaining concern is the speed with which reported cases are brought to finality. This being addressed by the Monitoring Team.

Areas highlighted by Parliamentary Task Team on Sexual Abuse • Progress around Signposts for Safe Schools and the guide on Managing Sexual Harassment and Gender-based Violence in Schools • Monitoring of implementation of legal and policy instruments • Establishment of partnerships with others to ensure safety in schools

Areas highlighted by Parliamentary Task Team on Sexual Abuse • Campaign to inform and educate children about sexuality, sexual abuse, responsible sexual behaviour and HIV/AIDS • Study on impact of life skills education on prevention of sexual abuse in schools and the community (ready to go to tender) • Training of educators on children’s rights as set out in various international conventions • Translation of African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child for schools and public offices throughout the country

Palesa Tyobeka Department of Education 05 September 2003