Western Cape Government Keeping Children Safe These Holidays

Statement by Debbie Schäfer, Western Cape Minister of Education

It is important that we keep our children, as far as possible, safe and occupied during the school holiday period. Our Safe Schools holiday programmes and MOD Centres aim to provide a safe, fun and educational environment for learners during the day.

Today I visited the Safe Schools Holiday Programme Leadership Camp at Fort Ikapa Army Base in Goodwood.

The programme which takes place over four days at Fort Ikapa includes 100 learners from 11 schools. The objective of the programme is to provide an environment that is conducive to learning, with stimulating activities that support their personal development and a life skills empowerment component to help equip them to deal with their daily challenges.  

The programme consists of three components:

• Regimental training as provided by  SANDF
• Life skills and motivational talks by Department of Education, SAPS, Metro Police and the Department of Social Development
• Sporting activities  and games  by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports

The programme focuses strongly on combatting the culture of gangsterism and violence as well as assisting learners to deal with conflict, being a role model and building self-confidence. 

Focus sessions will address the following:

• Life skills 
• Self-Values
• Self-worth, Self-esteem, Who Am I?
• Conflict management
• Leadership qualities  and development
• Substance abuse and awareness
• Dreams and goal-setting
• Rights and responsibilities

Informal activities include:

• Games
• Sport activities
• Talent shows
• Role playing

The WCED, together with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports, Cape Town Metro Police, South African National Defence Force (SANDF), South African Police Services (SAPS), and The Department of Social Development (DSD) have joined forces to put together these workshops to ensure that our learners are provided with opportunities and are uplifted, empowered and developed in order to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Programmes such as this prevent our children from becoming involved in undesirable activities during the school holiday, while building a solid foundation for leadership. They also act as a deterrent to deviant behavior and encourage our children to take part in team building activities, to play sports and to enjoy a clean and healthy lifestyle.

The 11 schools benefitting from the programme at Fort Ikapa are Groenvlei High School, Belgravia High School, ID Mkhize High School, Intshukumo High School, Windermere High School, Kensington High School, Bridgetown High School, Phoenix High School, Arcadia High School and Bonteheuwel High School.

I would like to thank all involved for their contribution to this programme.

For more information on the Safe Schools Holiday Programme, please contact the Safe Schools call centre on 0800 45 46 47.