'I fear for my child’s life'

WITH violence gripping the Cape, parents have been left fearing for their children’s safety on the school grounds as more and more learners are being subjected to bullying. 

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) revealed that a staggering 523 children have fallen victim to bullying during the first two school terms, from January to June 2025 - with a large number of incidents related to gang violence.

The WCED Safe Schools centre received 69 reports of alleged bullying, 422 cases of assault on school premises which includes fighting, hitting, kicking, pushing and shoving and 32 stabbings.  Fortunately, none of these incidents were fatal.

Spokesperson for the WCED Bronagh Hammond said that the district offices collaborate closely with schools to provide direct support in managing gang-related behaviour with key interventions including Back-to-School campaigns, learner-centered programmes on self-esteem, bullying prevention, restorative justice, conflict resolution and leadership development.

Hammond explained: “The WCED remains committed to making schools safe, inclusive, and conducive to learning. Through strategic partnerships, proactive planning, and data-informed decision-making, we aim to build resilience in schools and disrupt gang influence in communities.

"No child should ever experience bullying. Sadly, the reality is that children across the world continue to face bullying in various forms, whether physical, emotional, or online. It is a serious issue that demands the collective attention of parents, learners, schools, and the Department.

"The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is committed to addressing bullying through sustained efforts at both district and school level.

"This includes targeted anti-bullying campaigns and the implementation of our Positive Behaviour programme, which promotes respectful value-driven behaviour and informed life choices.

"Bullying is also addressed through the Life Orientation curriculum, supported by our Online Safety Curriculum Guideline, which equips learners with the tools to navigate digital spaces safely and responsibly. 

"We remain committed to fostering safe, inclusive learning environments where every child is treated with dignity and respect.

However, parents whose children are subjected to bullying feel that “the schools are doing nothing” and that going to the media is the only way of having their cries heard as they claim that 

Recent incidents include a 15-year-old Grade 9 learner from Belgravia High School who was slapped in the face by two school girls after getting repeatedly bullied by pupils in school since last year.

Her mother claims that her daughter does not want to attend school anymore and fears that the learner will repeat the year as the bullying has affected her results.

Another mother is pleading for action to stop bullying at JG Meiring High School as she fears her child who is Grade 10 will take his life before someone listens.

Meanwhile, a Grade two learner from Garlandale Primary School was allegedly sexually assaulted by his classmate after getting beat up in the boys bathroom.

When Daily Voice published these articles, more parents came forward asking for help as their children are experiencing similar issues and claim that no proactive action is being done by the schools.

One mother said: “I have done everything I can. I have gone to the police station, I have been up and down to the school. I have been to the education department.

"Bullying affects the parent just as much as it affects the child, it breaks my heart seeing my child like this.

"I fear for my child’s life. They are targeting my child but I am applying to other schools because I want her out. But there is no progress. My child does not want to go to school, she makes up excuses meanwhile the bullies are getting an education.”

Founder of Parents For Equal Education, Vanessa Le Roux said they are demanding transparency from the WCED regarding their bullying programme.

She told the Daily Voice: “We have seen this over and over. Bullying is a mental thing, this is not a once off session with a social worker and then it is gone because these children still have to face the perpetrators daily. 

"What they (WCED) are doing is wrong, inhumane and not there for the interest of our children.

"Clearly their bullying programme does not work. You can’t tick the box with the life of a child because one minute the child might look okay to you and the next moment that child is hanging from a rope.

"That is a risk I am not willing to take.

"I don't want to face broken parents again because they did what they were supposed to do, but the system, school and department failed them and that is a life we can never get back.

"This affects families too, a mother left her job because the child resorted to self-harm.

"The WCED needs to be transparent and show us what they mean when they say they have a bullying programme because we don’t know what it is.”

In attempt to combat bullying the WCED said they collaborate with key safety stakeholders, including, the South African Police Service (SAPS), City of Cape Town’s Metro Police and Law Enforcement, Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety (POCS) and Community Police Forums (CPFs)

These partnerships have enabled increased patrol visibility before and after school hours, search-and-seizure operations where needed, deployment of 82 School Resource Officers across 41 schools within identified Area-Based Teams (ABTs). 

Active participation in the Provincial Joints Anti-Gang Strategy Priority Committee and utilization of the Provincial Joint Operational Centre (JOC) to escalate and coordinate safety responses.

The WCED added that additional support is available through our district offices and the Safe Schools hotline at 0800 45 46 47, where learners can report incidents and access counselling services.