Exploring school safety in public secondary schools in the Gauteng province

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the legal imperative of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act No. 85 of 1993 and the South African Schools Act (SASA) No. 84 of 1996. The study set out to determine the nature and extent of the implementation of occupational school safety and the literature review examined both international and South African perspectives on the implementation of school safety. The OHS Act No. 85 of 1993 was discussed and linked to a school context, as well as exploring the legal safety imperative of the SASA No. 84 of 1996. The study followed an exploratory sequential mixed method design using a non-probability, homogeneous convenience, and purposive sample from a selection of public secondary public schools within the Gauteng Province. The study was divided in two phases, where the first qualitative phase utilised an interview guide and the second quantitative phase consisted of a structured, self-completing questionnaire to determine participants’ knowledge and compliance to the OHS Act No. 85 of 1993. School safety in South African schools falls under the auspices of the SASA No. 84 of 1996, with an emphasis on security safety. Data analysis found that occupational safety was not implemented to the letter of the law as prescribed by the OHS Act No. 85 of 1993, and was not at an optimum level of implementation and management. In fact, school management and educators regard occupational school safety as a burden, an additional task, and not their responsibility. An objective of the study was to develop a school safety management plan (SSMP) and framework (SSMF). The school safety management framework (SSMF) was based on three stages and 12 building blocks, namely, six primary and six supporting building blocks. The proposed school safety management plan (SSMP) and framework (SSMF) aim to assist the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), school governing bodies, school managers and educators to achieve legislated occupational school safety, as prescribed by the OHS Act No. 85 of 1993 and supporting regulations. The researcher is confident that the SSMF and SSMP will add value to the strategic plans of the DBE and the GDE to ensure effective and continuous school safety, and to improve the quality of school life for every scholar, educator, stakeholder and role-player.

Sepheo sa phuputso e ne e le ho hlahloba ka hloko taelo e lokelang ho hlomphuwa le ho phethahatswa ho ya ka tshwanelo ya Molao wa 85 wa selemo sa 1993 wa Bophelo le Polokeho ya batho Mosebetsing (OHS) le Molao wa 84 wa selemo sa 1996 wa Dikolo tsa Aforika Borwa (SASA). Phuputso e etsetswa ho tseba ka bohlokwa le boholo boo polokeho e fumantshwang ka bona dikolong mme tlhahlobo ya dingolwa tsa bangodi ba bang e shebile mehopolo ya dinaha tsa matjhabeng le ya Aforika Borwa ka phumantsho ya polokeho dikolong. Molao wa 85 wa selemo sa 1993 wa OHS o tshohlilwe le ho amahangwa le maemo a dikolo, mmoho le ho hlahloba taelo e lokelang ho hlomphuwa le ho phethahatswa ka hloko ya polokeho, ya Molao wa 84 wa selemo sa 1996 wa SASA. Phuputso e entswe ho sebediswa mekgwa e kopantseng mohato wa pokeletso le tlhahlobo ya datha ya dinomoro, o etswang ka mora hoba ho sebediswe mohato wa pokeletso le tlhahlobo ya datha e ngotsweng, ya ditshwantsho le diketsahalo, ho sebediswa mokgwa wa ho nka disampole moo mofuputsi a kgethang disampole ho ya ka maikutlo a hae ho na le ho kgetha feela, le ho nka sampole bathong ba tshwanang ka dintho tse itseng, dikolong tse itseng tsa mmuso tsa sekondari, Porovenseng ya Gauteng. Phuputso e arotswe ka mehato e mmedi, moo mohato wa pele wa datha e ngotsweng, ya ditshwantsho le diketsahalo o sebedisitseng lenane la dipotso tse hlophiseditsweng inthaviu ho tataisa mofuputsi ha a botsa bafuputswa dipotso le ho ba fa dikgetho tsa dikarabo, ha mohato wa bobedi wa datha ya dinomoro o ne o na le lenanepotso le hlophisitsweng leo bankakarolo ba itlatsetsang lona ho fumana tsebo le hore ba phethahatsa ho ya ka Molao wa 85 wa selemo sa 1993 wa OHS. Polokeho dikolong tsa Aforika Borwa e wela tlasa Molao wa 84 wa selemo sa 1996 wa SASA, ho tobokeditswe polokeho ya dikolong. Tlhahlobong ya datha ho fumanwe hore polokeho mosebetsing ha e a etswa ho ya ka molao jwalo ka ha ho boletswe Molaong wa 85 wa selemo sa 1993 wa OHS, le hore e ne e se boemong bo hodimo ka ho fetisisa ho ka fihlelwa le ho laolwa. Nnete ke hore, botsamaisi ba sekolo le matitjhere ba bona polokeho dikolong e le morwalo, mosebetsi o mongata ebile e se boikarabelo ba bona. Sepheo sa phuputso e ne e le ho etsa moralo wa taolo ya polokeho dikolong (SSMP) le moralotshebediso ya oona (SSMF). Moralotshebediso wa taolo ya polokeho dikolong (SSMF0 o ne o tshetlehilwe dikgatong tse tharo le metheong e 12, e leng, metheo e tsheletseng ya mantlha le e tsheletseng ya tshehetso. Sepheo sa moralo o sisintsweng wa taolo ya polokeho dikolong (SSMP) le moralotshebediso ya oona (SSMF) ke ho thusa Lefapha la Thuto ya Motheo (DBE), Lefapha la Thuto la Gauteng (GDE), mekgatlo e laolang tsamaiso dikolong, batsamaisi ba dikolo le matitjhere ho fihlela boemo bo behilweng molaong ba polokeho dikolong, jwalo ka ha ho boletswe Molaong wa 85 wa selemo sa 1993 wa OHS le melawana e o tshehetsang. Mofuputsi o na le tshepo ya hore SSMF le SSMP di tla ba bohlokwa meralong ya mawa a DBE le GDE ho netefatsa polokeho e ntle le e tswelang pele ho etswa boemong bo phahameng dikolong, le ho ntlafatsa boemo ba bophelo ba moithuti, titjhere, mothahaselli le motho e mong le e mong ya bapalang karolo e itseng sekolong. Phuputso e hlahisa bopaki ba hore ho na le papiso kapa kamano e nyane ho isa ho e siyo ho hang, pakeng tsa Molao wa 85 wa selemo sa 1993 wa OHS le Molao wa 84 wa selemo sa 1996 wa SASA. Hantlentle, melao ena e mmedi ya bohlokwa ha e kopane ho ba taelo e le nngwe ya semmuso ya polokeho. Tlhahlobo ya datha e bontshitse hore batsamaisi ba dikolo le matitjhere ha ba nke polokeho e behilweng molaong e le boikarabelo ba bona ba le bang empa ba nka e le ba motho ya hiretsweng bokgoni ba ho etsa hore ho be le polokeho. Ho sisinywa hore DBE, jwalo ka moetsamolao, e kenyeletse ditlhoko tsa Molao wa 85 wa selemo sa 1993 wa OHS Molaong wa 84 wa selemo sa 1996 wa SASA, kapa bonyane e bolele ha kgutshwanyane ka ditlhoko tsa Molao wa 85 wa selemo sa 1993 wa OHS le ho kenyeletsa polokeho moralong wa yona wa ntshetsopele ya dikolo, moralong wa taolo ya mawa a DBE le moralong wa dintho tseo DBE e rerang ho di etsa. Phuputso e tswela pele ho sisinya dikarolo tseo patlisiso e lokelang ho ntshetswa pele ho tsona tse amanang le dikarolo tse ding hape tse amang polokeho dikolong.

Inhloso yocwaningo bekuwukuhlola ukubaluleka okusemthethweni koMthetho Wezempilo Nokuphepha Emsebenzini (OHS) onguNombolo 85 ka-1993 kanye noMthetho Wezikole zaseNingizimu Afrika (SASA) onguNombolo 84 ka-1996. Ucwaningo lwaluhlose ukunquma uhlobo kanye nezinga lokuqaliswa kokuphepha kwezikole emsebenzini kanye nokubuyekezwa kwemibhalo kuhlole imibono yamazwe ngamazwe neyaseNingizimu Afrika mayelana nokuqaliswa kokuphepha kwezikole. UMthetho we-OHS onguNombolo 85 ka-1993 kwaxoxwa ngawo futhi waxhunyaniswa nesimo sesikole, kanye nokuhlola ukubaluleka kokuphepha kwezomthetho kwe-SASA onguNombolo 84 ka-1996. Ucwaningo lulandele indlela exubile elandelanayo yokuhlola kusetshenziswa okungalindelekile, ukusebenziseka okufanayo, kanye nesampula ehlosiwe evela ezikoleni ezikhethiwe zikahulumeni zamabanga aphezulu esiFundazweni saseGauteng. Ucwaningo lwehlukaniswe izigaba ezimbili, lapho isigaba sokuqala sokuqoqa nokuhlaziya imininingwane engezona izinombolo sasebenzisa umhlahlandlela wenhlolokhono kanti isigaba sesibili sokuqoqo nokuhlaziya izinombolo sasihlanganisa uhlu lwemibuzo oluhlelekile, oluzigcwalisela lona ukuze kunqunywe ulwazi lwabahlanganyeli kanye nokuhambisana noMthetho we-OHS onguNombolo 85 ka-1993. Ukuphepha kwezikole ezikoleni zaseNingizimu Afrika kungaphansi kwe-SASA onguNombolo 84 ka-1996, kugcizelelwa ukuphepha kwezokuphepha. Ukuhlaziywa kwemininingwane kwathola ukuthi ukuphepha emsebenzini akuzange kusetshenziswe ngokomthetho njengoba kunqunywe nguMthetho we-OHS onguNombolo 85 ka-1993, futhi kwakungekho ezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu lokusetshenziswa nokuphatha. Eqinisweni, abaphathi besikole nothisha babheka ukuphepha kwesikole njengomthwalo, umsebenzi owengeziwe, hhayi isibophezelo sabo. Inhloso yocwaningo kwakuwukwenza uhlelo lokuphatha ukuphepha kwesikole (SSMP) kanye nohlaka (SSMF). Uhlaka lokuphatha ukuphepha kwezikole (SSMF) belusekelwe ezigabeni ezintathu namabhulogo okwakha ayi-12, okungukuthi, amabhulogo okwakha ayinhloko ayisithupha kanye nayisithupha ayisisekelo. Uhlelo oluhlongozwayo lokuphatha ukuphepha kwezikole (SSMP) kanye nohlaka (SSMF) kuhloswe ngalo ukusiza uMnyango Wezemfundo Eyisisekelo (DBE), uMnyango wezeMfundo waseGauteng (GDE), izigungu ezilawula izikole, abaphathi bezikole kanye nothisha ukuze kuzuzwe ukuphepha ezikoleni okusemthethweni, njengoba kubekwe nguMthetho we-OHS onguNombolo 85 ka-1993 kanye nemithethonqubo esekelayo. Umcwaningi unethemba lokuthi i-SSMF ne-SSMP zizokwengeza ukubaluleka ezinhlelweni zamasu ze-DBE kanye ne-GDE ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuphepha kwesikole okuphumelelayo nokuqhubekayo, kanye nokwenza ngcono izinga lempilo yesikole yawo wonke umfundi, uthisha, ababambiqhaza nababambe iqhaza. Kusobala ocwaningweni ukuthi akukho ukuqhathanisa noma ubudlelwano obuncane phakathi koMthetho onguNombolo 85 ka-1993, kanye noMthetho we-SASA onguNombolo 84 ka-1996. Eqinisweni, le mithetho emibili ebalulekile yomthetho ayihlangani njengesimemezelo esisodwa sokuphepha esiphelele. Ukuhlaziywa kweminingwane kubonise ukuthi abaphathi bezikole nothisha abakubheki ukuphepha okusemthethweni njengesibophezelo sabo kuphela kodwa njengowomuntu oqokiwe onekhono lokuphepha. Kuphakanyiswa ukuthi i-DBE, njengesishayamthetho esengamele, ifake izidingo zoMthetho we-OHS onguNombolo 85 ka-1993 ku-SASA onguNombolo 84 ka- 1996 noma okungenani ibhekisele ezidingweni zomthetho onguMthetho we-OHS onguNombolo 85 ka-1993 kanye nokufaka ukuphepha ohlelweni lwayo lokuthuthukiswa kwezikole, isu lokuphatha amasu e-DBE, kanye nohlelo lokusebenza lwe-DBE. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lwenze iziphakamiso ngezindawo zocwaningo olwengeziwe oluhlobene nobubanzi obubanzi bokuphepha kwezikole emsebenzini.