Crackdown for deaths of pupils

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has found that education leaders did not comply with even minimum safety standards following its investigation of a fire that killed three pupils at the North West School for the Deaf (NWSD) in Leeudoringstad in 2015.

It recommended the police begin criminal proceedings against those responsible for the lapses that led to the pupils’ deaths.

It also found that the respondents – NWSD, the head of North West department of education, the education MEC and the minister of basic education – failed to comply with legislation and policy.

“This includes the National Building Standards‚ Regulations and National Norms and Standards, Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools and Uniform Norms and Standards of the department of public works Disability Policy Guidelines,” the SAHRC said yesterday.

The human rights and dignity of the pupils had also been neglected.

“The respondents failed to adhere to the minimum safety standards for fire safety on the school premises.

“They did not comply with legislative and policy imperatives for reasonable accommodation for pupils with disabilities.

“They did not protect the rights of pupils with disabilities to access education and did not take positive steps to protect them, which was compounded by locking the doors to residential facilities from the outside.”

The commission added that there was systemic noncompliance with the minimum building, safety and fire standards for residential facilities in special schools in the North West.

This included at the Hoërskool Wolmaransstad where NWSD pupils were moved to after the fire.

The SAHRC directed the head of the province’s department of education to conduct a full audit of all special needs schools to identify existing controls, training needs and risks to pupils.

“The head of department is further directed to set up a centralised system through which compliance with safety standards is monitored and which enables timely interventions for corrective action where noncompliance is noted.”

The commission also recommended that the SA Council of Educators (Sace) institute disciplinary proceedings within three months of the receipt of the report against employees and/or officials of the North West department of education responsible for school safety who failed and/or neglected to ensure safety measures were in place at the school.

“Where disciplinary measures have already been invoked, either by Sace or the head of department, that a detailed report of the disciplinary steps taken in the matter (if any) be provided to the commission within three months.” – ANA