Flats’ schools failed by the system

Research suggests the problem of school gangs is growing. Natasha Joseph asked Professor Rajendra Chetty about the roots of the continuing nightmare

could play a key role in schools’ drug abuse awareness programmes. This would not only engender a collaborative partnership with the schools, but also create a way for the police to regain credibility among youth. The programme must shift from a punitive approach to an enabling, caring and supportive methodology to address gangsterism and drug abuse in schools.

Society would benefit greatly if the police, school and community focused their efforts on prevention instead of tackling the aftermath of gangsterism among learners.

Policing is a national government responsibility. The state should provide specialised policing resources and introduce expert drug units to control gangsterism and drug abuse in the Cape Flats.

It is unfortunate that inequality in schooling is not being addressed. It is ironic to note the Western Cape Department of Education has decided to close low-income, lowperforming schools and is ignoring the social needs of struggling communities in the Cape Flats. Poor communities like those on the Cape Flats seem to be on the fringe of the department’s agenda.

It is also concerning that there has been no urgency on the part of the national Education Department to develop, implement and evaluate school-based interventions.

For instance, the national Drug Abuse Policy Framework stipulates that teachers receive suitable training to equip them to deal with social problems as they arise in the classroom. Teachers on the Cape Flats have not received such specialist training.

Community development needs serious consideration in any efforts to address poverty and social ills. The capitalist democracy foregrounds the interests of business, profits and the middle class. This happens at the expense of poor communities, which has resulted in the increased levels of poverty and crime seen in some areas. These schools don’t exist in a vacuum, so providing them with basic educational resources, organising leadership seminars for principals that focus on tackling social problems and setting up feeding schemes for the children who go to school hungry could make a huge difference.

There also needs to be better support for pupils with behavioural problems. All schools once had guidance counsellors – this position should be recreated and filled in every school on the Cape Flats. He or she should be tasked with implementing, monitoring and evaluating the substance abuse prevention programme in schools.

A collaborative strategic intervention programme should be formulated that involves communities, schools, the education department – provincially and nationally.

Importantly, data is needed to identify spatial patterns of drug abuse and gangsterism in schools. Policy makers and service planners could use this data to allocate resources for prevention and treatment at schools with the highest level of problems. – The Conversation

● Rajendra Chetty is head of research in the faculty of education at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

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