Sexual%20Abuse%20of%20Learners:%20Progress%20Report%20to%20Joint%20Monitoring%20Committee:%20Children,%20Youth%20and%20Disabled%20Persons

1
Sexual Abuse of Learners Progress Report to
Joint Monitoring Committee Children, Youth and
Disabled Persons

• Palesa Tyobeka
• Department of Education
• 05 September 2003

2
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.

3
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

4
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

5
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

6
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.

7
Policy Development

• The Employment of Educators Act (no. 76 of 1998)
  is the basis for the DoEs 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.

8
Materials developed

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

9
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.

10
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

11
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.

12
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.

13
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

14
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.

15
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

16
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 childrens 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