The management of school safety with reference to drugs in public schools

Abstract

School safety is one of the most important pillars to ensure effective teaching and learning. Safety in public schools is under threat due to learners who abuse drugs and carry dangerous weapons in schools. This is a national problem which poses a serious challenge to principals and School Governing Bodies on how to manage school safety with reference to drug abuse in public schools. Prinsloo (2005:5) describes school safety as one that is free of danger and where there is absence of possible harm; a place in which educators, non-educators and learners may work, teach and learn without fear of ridicule, intimidation, harassment, humiliation or violence. This implies that there should be measures in place to make sure that incidents related to any threat to school safety are properly managed. Management of school safety should take place within a legal framework derived from the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (No.108 of 1996) as well as the South African Schools Act (No.84 of 1996), South African case law and common law. School Governing Body of the school is empowered by the South African Schools Act (No.84 of 1996) to draw a code of conduct for learners in the school. Management of school safety needs extra care as it involves possible violations of human rights. It is therefore important that the Governing Body of the school integrate the Constitutional guidelines and regulations by the South African Schools Act (No.84 of 1996) into the school code of conduct. The problem however, is how principals and School Governing Bodies manage the challenge of school safety with reference to drug abuse by learners in public schools. This study draws a distinction between the legal framework in managing drug abuse in public schools and implementation of policies. Here the perceptions, experiences and expectations of principals and School Governing Bodies come into play as to how they perceive and experience their own management of school safety with reference to drug abuse in public schools. Copyright