Managing the disabling environment in the South African Secondary Schooling to Promote Safety and Security

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to critique lack of safety and security in public secondary schools. The paper is both conceptual and empirical in nature within the qualitative research paradigm. The question guiding this paper is: what shall it take to have public secondary school learners stopping to compromise the safety and security measures in their institutions? Interviewing technique and documents review, were employed to generate data. Out of the population of 17 secondary schools in one of the circuits in Vhembe district, in Limpopo Province, South Africa, three were conveniently sampled. Those were the secondary schools that had safety and security lapses that resulted in disabling or unpleasant schooling environment in their institutions. In each of the three sampled secondary school, a School Principal, a School Governing Body Chairperson and a Chairperson for the Representative Council of Learners became research participants. The total number of research participants amounted to nine. Findings revealed that firstly, secondary schools need to create school safety and security officers. Secondly, secondary schools need to embrace a restorative approach to safety and security. Thirdly, secondary schools need to emphasise reduction and eradication of safety and security threats. Fourthly, secondary schools need to regularly conduct safety and security audits. Fifthly, secondary schools need to avoid learner maltreatment and harassment. Lastly, secondary schools need to perfect their safety and security reporting systems. The researcher recommends for the public secondary schooling environments to be free from fear, intimidation and victimisation. This implies secondary schooling needs to prioritise the achievement of safer and secured schooling environment for the sustainable performance of learners.