Everson Luhanga and Buziwe Nocuze
Learners are indulging in drugs, alcohol and gambling in plain sight at high schools in Delft, Cape Town and Alexandra, Gauteng, but teachers are too afraid to do anything about it.
It appears the situation is so bad at Leiden High School in Delft that teachers choose to ignore what is happening because they are worried their car tyres will get slashed.
A parent told Scrolla.Africa that a group of learners bring drugs and alcohol to school.
“They are not only using the drugs but they sell them, too,” said the parent.
“The sad part is the kids’ parents are not aware of all this. We need the department to intervene before it is too late.”
Parents believe searching the learners before they are let into the school premises will help to sort out the problem.
“Let the caretakers search learners before they enter school premises. We can’t wait for police officers to do these things because they are busy with crime,” another parent said.
A grade 12 learner, who spoke to Scrolla.Africa on condition of anonymity, said if those heartless pupils hear anyone reporting them to the principal, they could get stabbed.
“What they are doing is wrong and puts our lives in danger but there is nothing we can do,” said the learner.
Bronagh Hammond, Western Cape Education Department spokesperson, said their safety school directorate has been contacted.
“Our search and seizure guidelines provide clearly defined powers to conduct school search and seizure operations. Our legislation gives the right to search and seize on reasonable suspicion and not on evidence alone.”
Meanwhile, at an Alexandra high school, some learners are gambling with dice using desks as their table, while others are selling drugs on school premises.
Vincent Ndima, an activist for Alexandra Safer Schools, told Scrolla.Africa that these are not the first incidents they have seen. “We have reported such incidents to the Department of Education at the district level and there has been no action taken,” he said.
Ndima said the community has partnered with law enforcement agencies by doing unannounced raids – and they have uncovered drugs being sold at school.
“What we find in the possession of children is shocking,” he said. “During such raids, we find drugs, dangerous weapons and other unauthorised equipment.”
Back in the Western Cape, the Education Department has had 88 cases reported to their Safe Schools sub-directorate of learners owning dagga on-premises, three instances of Xanax pills and 12 alcohol-related issues.
Learners needing support and substance abuse assistance can call the Western Cape Department’s Safe Schools hotline at 0800 454 647.
