A Rocklands Grade 11 pupil is determined to be the first to matriculate in her family.
At a cluster safe school planning programme, Cedar High School of the Arts representative council of learners (RCL) vice-president Jade Swartz, 17, from Lentegeur, said that she and her brother were the only children in her family still in school. Her mother had dropped out in Grade 11 and her father Grade 9.
“None of my grandmother’s children reached matric,” she said.
“I want to say next year when I am at that matric ball and I have that matric certificate, that I have done it. I made it through His grace,” she said.
Jade thanked various representatives from the community, neighbouring schools, Metro South Education District (MSED), Chrysalis Academy, False Bay College, Awareness programmes in Substance Abuse (APISA) and church groups who met to discuss safety concerns and possible solutions at the Rocklands school, on Wednesday August 3.
“I want to thank you guys and acknowledge your hard work. I didn’t know that such meetings exist. This shows me and other young people that there are adults trying to make a difference, trying to keep us safe and coming up with solutions,” she said.
Jade had participated in Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Cape Flats and Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI) programmes to encourage herself and peers to reach their goals.
Last week’s programme was in line with the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) nine-point safe school planning process, which should be implemented at schools to develop a community-orientated problem-solving culture.
First steps include establishing a school safety committee (SSC); making safety part of the school’s vision; completing a safety audit in line with the national school safety framework and school safety diagnostic tool; setting major objectives; developing a comprehensive safety plan, including a contingency plan, industrial action contingency plan, disaster management preparedness plan and business continuity plan; and selecting and implementing strategies.
The programme includes schools conducting audits of service providers in the area; creating cluster structures; and evaluating progress periodically as determined by the SSC.
Acting principal Belinda Groeneveldt led the programme, with representatives writing down their problems on sheets of paper along with possible solutions.
Ashley Potts, ward councillor for Rocklands and Westridge, said schools had become homes and safe havens, where school staff, pupils and parents had become like family.
Celia Arendse, a teacher at Mitchell’s Plain School of Skills, said teachers were working in challenging environments.
“We as educators are not protected,” she said, and asked who was looking out for teachers who poured their hearts and souls into making a difference in the lives of pupils with discipline.
“We have to walk this road. Mitchell’s Plain is the most resourceful community,” she said.
Ms Arendse said pupils were being robbed en route to school and that circumstances may lead them to choosing to join gangs.
Safe Schools’ Sonia Alexander said they looked at the school environment and whether it was safe. This could include checking whether the schools had fencing, alarm systems, armed response and intercom systems in high risk areas; intervention programmes and partnerships with external service providers.
Souchan Gasant-Jackson, campus manager at False Bay College Mitchell’s Plain, said they shared similar challenges.
“These thugs are actually very good sales people. They know how to market and single out clients. What we want is for them to learn towards a vocation, one which is not going to lead them to crime,” she said.
Mitchell’s Plain SAPS Rocklands sector commander Captain Mornay Kleinhans encouraged parents and community workers to offer pupils love and faith.
He said often the children “acted out” because they did not feel loved.
Captain Kleinhans encouraged faith-based groups to take to the streets and pray on the corners, where they could advocate for better lives for the youth, instead of gangsterism and drugs.
Prayer groups, feeding schemes and community organisations including Rocklands neighbourhood watch pledged to pray, support and encourage good citizenship in- and outside of the school premises.
They are planning to meet quarterly.