Gangs behind school violence

Gangs behind school violence
Retha Grobbelaar | 19 December, 2011
Soccer in Hanover Park, Western Cape, on a school holiday. The police have raided homes in the area as part of a crime prevention operation intended to counter gang violence and drug abuse Picture: SHELLEY CHRISTIANSS
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SCHOOL VIOLENCE:
Teachers want the cane back
Thankless, hopeless task Between January and September, 194 assaults and 41 knife attacks were reported at Western Cape schools.
Provincial education spokesman Bronagh Casey said most of the assaults were between pupils and were often gang-related.

"Gangsterism in some of our communities, such as Hanover Park and Lavender Hill, has risen quite significantly over the last two months," she said.

"Not only are some of the pupils subjected to violence within their community, but they also sometimes risk being caught in crossfire while travelling to and from school."

The Western Cape education department has asked schools to identify pupils involved in gangs, and place them in behavioural and conflict-resolution programmes.

Accurate figures for violence in Gauteng schools are not available because many of the incidents are handled internally by the schools and are not reported to the education department, said department spokesman Charles Phahlane. ( Times Live )