Some R3bn allocated for school safety in Gauteng
The Gauteng Department of Education has allocated close to R3 billion to create safer schools for pupils around the province.
Education MEC Matome Chiloane elaborated on his department’s budget during a media briefing on Tuesday.
“School safety is one of the 6th administration’s elevated priorities for education and, as such, the department will invest R2.91 billion into creating safer schools that embody social cohesion through patriotism and non-violence through the heightened presence of safety patrollers,” he said.
Last Thursday, 17-year-old Palesa Malatji from Ntsako Secondary School in Soshanguve was brutally raped and murdered while she was on her way home.
Her lifeless body was discovered on Friday after an overnight search.
Chiloane says that enhancing school safety remains one of the province’s key priorities.
He adds that 5000 patrollers have been deployed to the province’s schools through its school safety strategy.
“The school safety strategy is targeting 1700 Township schools and focusing on 275 high-risk schools. In collaboration with the Department of Community Safety, CPF and SAPS we are implementing a school safety patroller programme which will enlist 5000 plus patrollers to provide security to schools on a 24-hour basis.”
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