Despite the 417 schools receiving security from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) for the winter school holidays, 42 schools were vandalised.
This is a small increase compared to the same holidays last year, when 38 schools reported similar incidents.
The total cost of all the incidents is currently estimated at R808 600, with the estimates for some of the incidents still outstanding.
Provincial Minister of Education David Maynier said fortunately, almost all of the incidents were minor in nature.
“Items stolen or damaged included bathroom fixtures, fencing, solar panels, consumables such as stationery and cleaning materials, tablets and ICT equipment, security and electrical equipment, and bicycles. Criminals even looted packs of sanitary pads and first aid kits,” he said.
Maynier said one major incident involved damages estimated at over R121 000. He thanked school communities for keeping a close eye on their schools and reporting suspicious activity in their areas.
Maynier said this means that nearly a million rand that could have been spent on educating learners must now be spent on fixing wanton damage.
“Of particular concern is that some of the schools which fell victim to crime over the holidays had security guards, cameras, and other security features in place. We need to better understand what our schools need to ensure that they are safe from criminal attacks,” he urged.
Community participation plays a pivotal role in keeping our schools safe, he said.
Maynier highlighted that, one of the department’s World’s Best Schools finalists, West End Primary School (Mitchell’s Plain), has not been vandalised in 10 years – despite its location in a community battling with various socio-economic issues.
“I intend to visit the school and others like it that have mobilised the surrounding community to take ownership of and protect the schools of the Western Cape. Our schools have reported the cases to Saps, and I will seek a meeting with the provincial police commissioner, Lt-Gen Thembisile Patekile, to discuss progress on these and the cases reported by our schools and the Department previously”.