SCHOOL SAFETY POLICY - Prospectus Novus School
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SCHOOL SAFETY POLICY
Page 1
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Title of this policy 5
2. Effcetive date 5
3. Date of the next review 5
4. Revision history 5
5. Definitions and acronyms 5
5.1 Definitions 5
5.2 Acronyms 10
6. Preamble 11
7. Purpose of this policy 12
8. Objectives of the policy 12
9. Scope of applicability 12
10. Legislative framework 12
11. Create a safe school environment 13
11.1 Access to Public School premises 13
11.2 Weapons and Drug Free Public School 15
11.3 Buildings, Grounds and Infrastructure 16
11.4 Control of learners: late coming, during breaks, in cases of early departure
and pick up/drop off points. 16
11.5 Child Protection and Care 18
11.6 School Activities 18
11.7 Important Considerations to Promote School Safety 19
12. Management of threats to school safety 20
12.1 School Violence 20
12.2 Bullying 20
12.3 Gangsterism 21
12.4 Abuse and Sexual Abuse 21
12.5 Initiation Practices 22
12.6 Confidentiality 22
12.7 Occupational Health and Safety 22
12.7.1 Minimum Contents of Emergency First Aid Box 23
12.8 Allocation of Duty to Educators 23
13. Coordinating structure for school safety at school level 24
13.1 Composition of the School Safety Team 25
13.2 Roles and Responsibilities 25
13.2.1 Principal 25
13.2.2 School Governing Body Rep 25
13.2.3 School Safety Officer 26
13.2.4 Educator Rep 26
13.2.5 RCL Rep 26
Page 2
13.2.6 Peer Mediators 27
13.2.7 Support Staff 27
13.3 COVID-19 Committee 27
14. Reporting and accountability 27
15. Performance management 28
During COVID-19 pendemic:
16. The role of schools in responding to COVID-19 28
16.1 Steps to prevent the sopread of COVID-19 in a school 29
16.2 Roles and responsibilities of the SMT, SGBs and staff 30
17. Access control for parents and third parties 31
18. Key condiderations for supporting specific learner needs 32
19. Personal hygiene 34
20 Food preparation and serving 35
21. Physical distancing 37
22. Ventilation 38
23. Wearing a mask 38
24. Personal protective equipment 41
25. Management of COVID-19 cases in a school 42
26. Steps to be followed to manage COVID-19 in schools 46
27. Environmental disinfection 50
28. Consideration for the closure of schools 51
29. Management of COVID-19 in school hostels and diningrooms 52
30. Considirations for keeping a school open after dismissal of learners 55
31. Provision of therapeutic support 56
32. Management of assistive devices 69
33. Learner transport 72
33.1 Loading capacity of learner transport and hygiene 72
33.2 Embarking of learners in the vehickles 72
34 Providing emotional support to learners, teachers and non-teaching staff 73
34.1 What to do before schools reopen 73
34.2 What to do when schools reopen 73
34.3 How to identify when someone needs help 73
34.4 What is the purpose to follow if a learner or staff member is identified with one
or more of the above signs? 74
34.5 What are the whole school activities to use? 74
34.6 Sources of psychological support 74
35. Learners not returning to school 75
36. Communication with the school community 75
37. Prosedures to be followed by educators and learners during COVID-19
(See annexure G)
38. Short title 77
Page 3
39. Approval 78
ANNEXURE A: GUIDELINE FOR THE HANDLING OF INCIDENTS AT
SCHOOLS
ANNEXURE B: EXTERNAL REFERRAL FLOWCHART
ANNEXURE C: SCHOOL INTERNAL PROCESS
ANNEXURE D: SCHOOL SAFETY ACTION PLAN
ANNEXURE E: SCHOOL REGISTER OF MISCONDUCT
ANNEXURE F: INCIDENT REPORT SCHOOL
ANNEXURE G: PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED BY LEARNERS AND STAFF
DURING COVID-19
Page 41. TITLE OF THE POLICY : School Safety Policy of Prospectus Novus
School
2. EFFECTIVE DATE : 8 June 2020
3. DATE OF NEXT REVIEW : 10 March 2021
4. REVISION HISTORY
As amended on: (Specify date/s)
4.1 4 June 2020
4.2 16 September 2020
5. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS
5.1 Definitions
Term Explanation
Means unjust or unwanted practice e.g physical,
Abuse emotional, verbal or sexual abuse including victimization
or ill treatment.
Refers to any written or other visual communication,
verbal communication, or physical act, gesture or
omission engaged to creating a substantial and
justifiable risk of creating a threat of or with the natural
Bullying
result of an undesirable consequence. Bullying includes
initiation practice as well as the use of technology such as
the internet, Mxit thus manifesting into what is now
commonly referred to as cyber bullying.
Refers to any person who teaches, educates or trains
other persons at an education institution or assists in
rendering education services or education auxiliary or
Educator
support services provided by or in an education
department. It means anyone defined in terms of the
Employment of Educators Act.(Eof E.A)
Means wagering of money or something of material value
Gambling referred to as the “stakes” on an event with an uncertain
outcome with the primary intent of winning additional
Page 5Term Explanation
money and/or material goods.
Refer to organized groups involved in drug and weapon
Gangs trafficking and money laundering within which school
violence can take root and grow
Means to make repeated attacks or behave in an
Harassment
unpleasant or threatening way towards someone.
Injury means physical harm or damage
Means any event which is not part of the standard
Incidents operation of a service and which causes or may cause an
interruption to, or a reduction in, the quality of that service
Refers to any person enrolled in an education institution
Learner
as defined in the South African Schools Act.
Infectious disease that has spread across a large region,
Pandemic for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a
substantial number of people.
Means the parent or guardian of a learner or the person
Parent
legally entitled to custody of a learner.
Rape Means forced unwanted sexual intercourse.
School means Prospectus Novus School
Refers to any activity organized by the school as defined
School activity
in the South African Schools Act
Means Sexual Harassment in any form of unwanted
Sexual
conduct of a sexual nature and can include physical,
Harassment
verbal or non-verbal behaviour.
A set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures
taken to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by
Social Distancing maintaining a physical distance between people and
reducing the number of times people come into close
contact with each other.
Means a child who stays away from school without leave
Truancy
or explanation.
Means any act or omission which may result in damage
Vandalism
or harm to property.
Means behaviour that is intended to hurt other people
Violence
physically.
Means a thing designed or used or usable for inflicting
Weapons bodily harm and defined as undesirable in the South
African Schools Act.
Page 6Contamination: the presence of any potentially infectious
agent on items such as environmental surfaces, clothing,
Contamination bedding, surgical instruments or dressings, or other
inanimate articles or substances including water,
medications and food.
A process for rendering medical or other devices safe for
re-use on the same or another patient. It includes thorough
cleaning, and disinfection or sterilisation depending on the
Decontamination
device’s heat tolerance. Disinfection is a part of
decontamination and these two terms should not be used
interchangeably.
An individual with confirmed COVID-19 can stop isolation
precautions and return to school or work 10 days after the
De-isolation
positive test and once there is no fever or other COVID-19
symptoms.
A synthetic cleansing agent that can emulsify and suspend
oil. Contains surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with
Detergent cleaning properties in dilute solutions to lower surface
tension and aid in the removal of organic soil and oils, fats
and greases. Effective against coronaviruses.
Direct/close contact: Staff or learner(s) who have been in
Direct/close contact with an individual with confirmed COVID-19 for
contact more than 15 minutes within 1 meter without a mask, face
shield or face covering.
Chemical compounds that inactivate (i.e. kill) pathogens
and other microbes. Disinfectants are applied only to
inanimate objects. All organic material and soil must be
Disinfectants
removed by a cleaning product before application of
disinfectants. Some products combine a cleaner with a
disinfectant.
Disinfection: a thermal or chemical process for inactivating
Disinfection
microorganisms on inanimate objects.
Page 7All equipment and rooms that individuals who have
confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis have been in contact with,
Environmental during the preceding three (3) days, should be identified
decontamination for appropriate cleaning. Following a thorough cleaning,
surfaces must be wiped, not sprayed, with disinfectants as
recommended.
Dispersing a liquid chemical disinfectant to disinfect
environmental surfaces in an enclosed space. Fogging is
sometimes indicated in a health facility after an infectious
patient with a highly resistant pathogen (e.g. C difficile),
Fogging:
has been discharged and terminal cleaning has been
(fumigation,
completed. Fogging is to be carried out in a completely
misting)
empty room with no humans, furniture or obstruction. The
room is ready for use after a couple of hours, depending
on the contact time. Fogging is NOT recommended for
coronaviruses.
A period during which someone who is confirmed to have
COVID-19 is separated from healthy people. The period
Isolation
ends after 10 days, or once they have no symptoms.
Isolation can be involuntary if demanded by the State.
Time the individual with confirmed COVID-19 was present
Period of
in the school while in the infectious period as determined
infectivity
by the following:
For an individual with confirmed COVID-19 who has
symptoms: the infectious period begins 48 hours prior to
symptom onset and lasts until eight (8) days after
symptom onset.
For an individual with confirmed COVID-19 with no
symptoms:
o Where the source of infection is unknown, the infectious
period may be regarded as commencing 48 hours before
the date of the sample, to eight (8) days after the sample
was taken.
Page 8o Where the source of infection is known, the infectious
period can be estimated based on a minimum incubation
period of 2 days following exposure.
A period during which someone, who has been exposed to
a person who is confirmed to have COVID-19, is
separated from healthy people and observed for the
Quarantine
development of symptoms of COVID-19. This is currently
fourteen (14) days in the case of COVID-19. Quarantine
can be involuntary if demanded by the State.
The regular cleaning (and disinfection, when indicated) of
Routine cleaning the area to remove organic material, minimise microbial
contamination and provide a visually
The frequency of cleaning is determined by indication, but
Clean
should be at least twice a day, and more often for
environment
frequently touched surfaces.
An individual who either has COVID-19 or has been
exposed to a person with COVID-19 and voluntarily
selects to separate themselves from other healthy people.
Self-isolation
During self-isolation, the individual should not go out,
should wear a mask in the home, and have separate living
and ablution facilities, where possible.
When a staff member or learner appears ill or display
Suspected symptoms consistent with COVID-19, based on the
COVID-19 symptom screen/NICD case definition, but either not
tested or awaiting SARS-CoV-2 test result.
Page 9Cleaning and disinfection after the patient is discharged or
transferred and includes the entire healthcare area. This
does not apply to an office area or a gym or school or
Terminal
other workspace, where deep cleaning has no place. The
(discharge)
removal of organic material and significant reduction and
cleaning (deep
elimination of microbial contamination to ensure that there
cleaning)
is no transfer of microorganisms to the next patient. The
room can be occupied as soon as terminal cleaning is
completed and ready to accept the next patient.
5.2 Acronyms
Acronyms
Explanation
BCEA Basic Conditions of Employment Act
COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease of 2019
DBE Department of Basic Education
DPSA Department of Public Service and Administration
DSSC District School Safety Committee
HOD Head of Department of Education
ID Identity Document
MEC Member of Executive Council for Education
NDoH National Department of Health
NICD NATIONAL Institute for Communicable Diseases
NSNP School Nutrition Programme
OHSA Occupational Health and Safety Act
PAM Personnel Administrative Measures
PED Provincial Education Department
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
PS Staff Public Service Staff
PUI Person under investigation
SADAG SA Depression and Anxiety Group
South African National Council for Alcoholism And Drug
SANCA
Dependence
SAPS South African Police Services
Page 10SBST School Based Support Team
SGB School Governing Body
SMT School Management Team
SACE South African Council for Educators
SOP Standard Operating Procedures
WHO World Health Organisation
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019
DBE Department of Basic Education
DoH Department of Health
DPSA Department of Public Service and Administration
DSD Department of Social Development
EOC Emergency Operations Centre
ISHP Integrated School Health Programme
ISHT Integrated School Health Team
NDoH National Department of Health
NICD National Institute for Communicable Diseases
NSNP National School Nutrition Programme
OHSA Occupational Health and Safety Act
PED(s) Provincial Education Department(s)
PHEIC Public Health Emergency of International Concern
SARS-CoV-
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
2
SBST(s) School-Based Support Team(s)
SGB School Governing Body
SMT(s) School Management Team(s)
SOP(s) Standard Operating Procedure(s)
WHO World Health Organization
6. PREAMBLE
6.1 School violence and substance abuse takes place throughout the world;
in South Africa this phenomenon is manifesting itself through gang
violence, weapons in school, sexual violence, bullying, assault, theft and
robbery. School violence affects all schools irrespective of location.
6.2 In the light of the above, it is imperative for schools to develop a school
safety policy, with thorough plans and data collection tools to enable
them to pro-actively deal with and better manage threats to school
safety.
6.3 Through this policy, Prospectus Novus School intends to:
a) Place the issue of school safety at the top of the agenda of all
stakeholders,
b) Adopt a zero–tolerance approach to all perpetrators of any form of
school violence, gangsterism, substance abuse and bullying,
c) Ensure that all incidences of school violence, gangsterism,
substance abuse and bullying must be reported by all stakeholders
to school authorities and the police services once they become
known,
Page 11d) Ensure that there is appropriate support for the victim and victim
empowerment and
e) Ensure that abuse is managed with care, sensitivity and
confidentiality to mitigate against secondary abuse.
7. PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
7.1 The overall purpose of the policy is to ensure that the school is safe for
all and that effective measures are employed to address issues related
to discipline, drugs, dangerous objects, violence, bullying, rape,
assault, sexual abuse, theft and robbery.
8. OBJECTIVES OF THE POLICY
8.1 To promote a safe school environment and declare the school as a
Violence and Drug free zone,
8.2 To put in place measures for the prevention of violence, rape, abuse,
assault, bullying and gangsterism,
8.3 To put in place structures to co-ordinate School Safety Programmes and
to sustain gains made,
8.4 To clearly set out the roles and responsibilities of the various
stakeholders in the pursuit of a safe school environment,
8.5 To put in place clear protocols for the recording, reporting and
management of incidents.
9. SCOPE OF APPLICABILITY
9.1 This policy applies to all learners, staff members (CS and PS) and
governing body of Prospectus Novus School and
9.2 Matters related to the Occupational Health and Safety Act are excluded
from the application of this policy.
10. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
10.1 The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No. 108 of
1996), as amended.
10.2 The South African Schools Act, 1996(Act No. 84 of 1996), as amended.
(Regulations for the Safety Measures at Public Schools, Government
Notice No. 1040 October 2001 as amended).
10.3 Employment of Educators Act, 1998 (Act No 76 of 1998), as amended.
10.4 South African Council of Educators, 2000 (Act No 31 of 2000), as
amended.
10.5 Control of Access to Public Premises and Vehicles, 1985 (Act No 53 of
1985).
Page 1210.6 Fire Arms Control Act, 2000(Act No 60 of 2000).
10.7 Child Care Amendment Act, 1996 (Act No. 96 of 1996).
10.8 Children’s Act, 2005 (Act No 38 of 2005)
10.9 Children’s Amendment Act, 2007 (Act No 41 of 2007)
10.10 Sexual Offences Act, 2007 (Act No 32 of 2007).
10.11 Public Service Act, 1994 (Act No of 103 of 1994), as amended.
10.12 Drugs and drugs trafficking Act, 1992 (Act No 140 of 1992).
10.13 Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Sexual Violence &
Harassment in Public Schools, 2008.
10.14 Guidelines and Procedure for Dealing with Suspected and Confirmed
Cases of Child Abuse.
10.15 The Standard Operating Procedures for the Prevention, Containment
and Management of COVID-19 in Schools and School Communities –
April 2020
10.16 Coronavirus Orientation Guidelines for Schools
10.17 DBE Guidelines on maintaining hygiene during COVID-19 pandemic
10.18 The contextualisation of COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures in
Public
Special Schools
10.19 Prospectus Novus School COVID-19 Policy
10.20 General Notice No 412, 2020
10.21 Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997, as amended
10.22 national Disaster Management Act No 57, 2002, as amended
10.23 DBE Circular 1, 2020
10.24 Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, as amended
10.25 Public Service Regulation 51 of the Public Service Regulation, 2016
10.26 Determination and Directive on Leave of absence in the Public Service
11. CREATE A SAFE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
11.1 Access to Public School premises
a) The SGB will ensure that clear signage is present throughout the
school property, indicating that:
(i) anyone entering the school does so at their own risk,
(ii) anyone entering the school may be subjected to search,
(iii) no drugs, alcohol, guns or weapons permitted, and
(iv) unlicensed drivers will not be permitted to drive vehicles on the
school property.
b) During the school day all school gates must be locked and
access to the school must be controlled by the appointed
security officer.
Page 13c) All visitors to the school must complete the necessary
documentation at the security officer. The completed slip
must be handed in at the main office / applicable staff member
for a signature before leaving the premises.
d) The signed visitor slip must be handed back to the security
officer on departure.
e) Parents have a right to visit the school attended by their child,
provided that the visit does not disrupt any school activities and is
done with the permission of the Principal. Except for emergency
situations, it is preferred that parents visit schools on an
appointment basis.
f) According to the “Regulations for Safety Measures at Public
Schools, 2001,” “No person shall without the permission of the
principal or HOD, enter into any public school premises. The HOD
or Principal of any public school may take such steps that he or
she may consider necessary for the safeguarding of the public
school, as well as for the protection therein.”
g) Any visitor to the school, including parents, may be required to:
(i) Furnish his or her name, address and any other relevant
information required by the principal or HOD;
(ii) Produce proof of his or her identity to the satisfaction of the
principal or HOD if necessary;
(iii) Declare whether he or she has any dangerous object or illegal
drugs in his or her possession or custody or under his or her
control;
(iv) Declare and show what the contents are of any vehicle,
suitcase, attaché case, bag, handbag, folder, envelope, parcel
or container of any nature which he /she has in his / her
possession or custody or under his / her control;
(v) subject himself or herself and anything which he or she has in
his or her possession or custody or under his or her control to
a search by a person of the same gender, an examination by
an electronic device, sniffer dogs or other apparatus in order to
determine the presence of any dangerous object or illegal
drug; and
(vi) Hand to the principal or HOD anything which he or she has in
his or her possession or custody or under his or her control for
examination or custody until he or she leaves the premises.
h) The “Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools, 2001”
allows the principal or HOD to remove any person, any time from
any public school premises if:
Page 14(i) That person enters the public school premises concerned
without the permission of the Principal, and
(ii) The principal, SGB or HOD considers it necessary for the
safeguarding of the public school premises concerned or for
the protection of the people thereon.
i) Any person who contravenes the above mentioned measures may
be removed from the public school premises, with the assistance
of SAPS.
j) During the COVID-19 pandemic measures mentioned in 16.1 –
16.7 will be applicable.
11.2 Weapons and Drug Free Public School
a) Prospectus Novus School is a drug free and dangerous object free
zone.
b) No person may:
(i) Carry any dangerous object in the school premises;
(ii) Store any dangerous object in the school premises except in
the officially designated places identified by the principal;
(iii) Possess illegal drugs on the school premises;
(iv) Enter the school premises while under the influence of an
illegal drug or alcohol;
(v) Cause any form of violence or disturbances which can
negatively impact on the school activities;
(vi) wittingly condone, connive, hide, abet, encourage possession
of dangerous objects or refuse, fail, neglect to report the
sighting or presence of any dangerous objects to the
departmental authorities or the police as soon as possible;
and
(vii) Directly or indirectly cause harm to anyone, who exposes
another person who makes an attempt to frustrate the
prevention of the dangerous objects and activities
c) The principal or his delegate may, at random, search any learner
or a group of learners or the property of a learner or group of
learners, for any dangerous object or illegal drug, if a fair and
reasonable suspicion has been established. Such a search must
be done in accordance with Section 8A of SASA.
d) The principal or his delegate may at random administer urine or
other non-invasive test to any group of learners that is on fair and
reasonably suspected of using illegal drugs only under conditions
laid down in SASA.
Page 15e) Disciplinary action will be instituted against a learner or anyone
who contravene/s the above-mentioned rules.
11.3 Buildings, Grounds and Infrastructure
a) The SGB, SMT and Staff will regularly monitor its environment
(inside and outside the school) with a view to identifying the
potential dangers and take all reasonable measures to safeguard
learners and staff.
b) The SGB and SMT will make a concerted effort to ensure that a
preventative maintenance plan is put in place to take care of major
and minor maintenance.
c) The SGB, SMT and staff will take all the necessary steps to ensure
that a clean, safe and hygienic environment is provided to the
learners at all times.
d) The SGB and SMT will ensure that all minor maintenance such as
broken window panes, doors, etc are attended to as they occur.
They will further ensure that major maintenance of the schools will
be attended to through written submissions to the Department.
e) The SGB and SMT will ensure that:
(i) Any unused furniture/steel frame or broken furniture will be
properly stored or disposed of,
(ii) The school grounds will be maintained by cutting and trimming
the grass and trees on a regular basis,
(iii) Rubbish and litter is properly stored or disposed of, and
(iv) The school swimming pool is properly secured by a fence and
gate or net when not in use.
f) No learner is allowed near the swimming pool without the
supervision of an educator.
11.4 Control of learners: late coming, during breaks, in cases of early
departure and pick up/drop off points.
11.4.1 Late coming of learners
a) No learner should be locked outside the school for arriving
late.
b) In cases where learners arrive late for school, parents/
guardians should be informed and they should be dealt
with through the learner’s Code of Conduct.
11.4.2 During breaks
a) Learners are not allowed to leave the school premises
during break.
Page 16b) In cases where it is necessary for learners to leave the
school premises, written permission must be provided by
the Principal.
11.4.3 Early leave of learners at the request of parents/guardians
a) All requests for early leave must be made in writing by
parents/guardians. Such requests must be made to the
Principal’s office.
b) On admitting a learner to the school, a parent must identify
in writing who is allowed to collect their child in cases of
requests for early leave. Parents must review this annually
or as required, in writing, by the parent registering the child
at the school.
c) Persons collecting a learner from the school will be
requested to provide the school with a positive
identification.
d) The school will maintain a written record that includes the
name of the learner, the learner’s grade, the name and ID
No. of the person checking the learner out, as well as the
date, time and reason/s for the early leave.
e) In the case of a dispute between parents, the review of
person/s who will be allowed to check out learner’s early
from school will be done on the basis of a court order from
the parent who has registered the child at the school.
11.4.4 Early dismissal / release
The school will take reasonable steps to ensure that parents
are informed in good time if learners are to be released early
to enable parents to make transport and care – taking
arrangements.
11.4.5 Pick up/drop off points
Parents may only pick up/drop off learners at designated
points.
11.4.6 During the COVID-19 pandemic learners have to assemble on
the dedicated marks on the sport field.
11.4.7 Any learner that has to leave the school grounds must be
accompanied by an educator to the main entrance.
Page 1711.5 Child Protection and Care
In accordance with the Children’s Act, Prospectus Novus School will
create an awareness amongst staff members that when a child’s well-
being: is being threatened, support is not adequate and maltreated,
abuse, neglected, degraded or exploitation of a child is taking place, the
said child is deemed to be in need of protection and the relevant
authorities must be informed. Such a child should be reported to the
Principal. The Principal must report the matter to the parent (if not a
perpetrator), SAPS and the Department of Social Development. Note:
Both suspected and confirmed cases of child abuse must be
reported.
11.6 School Activities
11.6.1 The school will take reasonable measures to ensure the safety
of learners during any school activity.
11.6.2 The school takes reasonable measures to ensure that:
(a) If a learner is on medication and will require medication
during the course of school activities, the parent has seen
to it that the learner has sufficient quantities of the
medication for the duration of the school activities;
(b) If it is necessary for a learner to carry a doctor’s
prescription for medication, the parent has provided the
learner and the supervising educator with certified copies of
such prescription;
(c) A parent is advised to report to the school, in writing, the
medical condition of a learner;
(d) Before a school activity, the principal provides a
supervising educator with a report on the medical condition
of a learner; and
(e) A parent is informed about any traveling to or through a
high risk disease area during the course of the school
activity.
11.6.3 The school will take measures to ensure that, if a learner is
injured or falls ill during the course of a school activity and
requires medical treatment, the supervising educator:
(a) Takes measures to contact the parent of the learner
concerned in order to obtain consent for such medical
treatment; and
(b) Determines whether or not to consent to such medical
treatment if he or she is unable to contact the parent of the
learner.
Page 1811.6.4 The school will, in writing, supply the detailed information to the
parent of the learner who will undertake the school activity.
11.6.5 Immediately after returning from a school activity, the
supervising educator will submit a report on the school activity,
to the principal, and the principal must submit the report to the
Department and to the Chairperson of the SGB.
11.6.6 The school will only allow learners that have obtained written
consent from the parent to attend the school activity.
11.6.7 The school will ensure that if its own vehicle/s are used for
transporting learners, such vehicle/s has/have insurance and
roadworthy certificates and the driver/s is/are in possession of
valid driving licenses and professional driving permits.
11.6.8 During the COVID-19 pandemic all learners activities in the
afternoons are strictly prohibited.
11.7 Important Considerations to Promote School Safety
11.7.1 School Ownership
Most incidences that threaten school safety can be attributed
to poor: management, leadership, supervision and
accountability. While all school stakeholders must take
responsibility for school safety, the school management team
must lead from the front and constantly be on the lookout for
possible threats to school safety and minimize/eliminate a
threat before it manifests itself.
11.7.2 Partnerships
(a) In an attempt to combat violence, crime, drug abuse, carrying
of dangerous objects, bullying and gangsterism in the school,
an integrated approach will be taken.
(b) The school will work together with the provincial department of
education, the community; the Department of Community
Safety, the South African Police Services, the Department of
Social Development, the Department of Health and the
Department of Arts and Culture to strengthen the school -
police - community partnership.
11.7.3 During the COVID-19 pandemic all stakeholders must follow
the directions mentioned in 16.1 – 16.7.
Page 1912. MANAGEMENT OF THREATS TO SCHOOL SAFETY
The stakeholders of the school will endeavour to continuously monitor the
school environment (internally/externally) to identify potential threats and
mitigate these risks. The areas below have been identified as areas that
threaten school safety. Preventative measures are provided here while
Annexure A provides guidelines of what the Principal should do when a threat
to school safety occurs.
12.1 School Violence
a) No form of violence committed by one learner on another or a
teacher on a learner or the learner on the teacher will be tolerated
at Prospectus Novus School.
b) The school is committed to the South African Schools Act, Section
10 which states that: “No person may administer corporal
punishment at a school to a learner and if this is contravened such
a person will be guilty of an offence and liable to a sentence which
could be imposed for assault.”
c) In a similar manner a learner who assaults another learner or a
teacher will be guilty of an offence. Steps will be taken against
such a learner to ensure that a sentence is imposed for assault.
12.2 Bullying
a) Bullying is outlawed at Prospectus Novus School.
b) The school adopts a zero tolerance approach to bullying in
accordance with the Bill of Rights to protect children from
maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation;
c) The school will train learners, educators and the support staff that
bullying is everyone’s responsibility and that any Incidents of bullying
in the school need to be reported, recorded and investigated;
d) The training will include strategies that can be used to prevent or
stop bullying such as interaction between learners, discussion
groups, peer mediation, one-on-one mentoring or the “buddy
system” where older children look after younger children, bystander
or spectator support;
e) The school safety committee will select and train monitors on how to
identify and monitor incidents of bullying and on how to implement
the intervention strategies to address the problem such as Installing
cam coders and telephones in every classroom. This will assist the
school with viewing any suspicious activity and making emergency
calls to the police if necessary;
Page 20f) Every incident of bullying will be dealt with through the Code of
Conduct, and
g) The school will conduct background checks with SACE to check the
suitability of educators and in the case of former teachers check with
the GDE.
12.3 Gangsterism
12.3.1 To implement actions against gangs or gangsterism, the
school:
(a) At the first suspicion of gangsterism or gang related
activities, the relevant school officials will inform the District
Office and the police authorities about suspected gang –
related activities on or near the school property,
(b) The school will enforce the school uniform policy in an
attempt to maintain discipline and differentiating visitors
from learners in the school, and
(c) The school will collaborate with other sectors and
departments within the government to achieve success in
combating gangs in the schools and the community. These
will include civic organisations or associations, religious
groups or associations, youth commissions, Childline,
Lifeline and the local police.
12.4 Abuse and Sexual Abuse
12.4.1 The school will implement the Action Strategies against abuse
by way of:
(a) Urging learners to report any incidence of abuse to the
Principal or any staff member that they trust,
(b) Staff members will be sensitized to note changes in
learner’s behavior and record a learner’s behavioural
changes towards classmates, peers and other educators in
a record book over a few days or weeks,
(c) Where necessary, educators/members may interview peers
or classmates, maintaining confidentiality,
(d) The School Safety Team will inform learners regularly that,
in case of any abuse or rape, what course of action should
be followed. The School Safety Team will empower
educators to advise learners, in case of sexual abuse/rape
on which steps to take to retain the evidence and maintain
confidentiality,
Page 21(e) Educating learners about abuse, places to avoid, what to
do if abused and where to go for help,
(f) Educating learners about their rights and where to get
counselling and medical attention if abused. The school will
teach learners self-defence mechanisms and strategies to
build or re-gain their confidence; and
12.4.2 No pornography is allowed at the school. Any learner, educator
or support staff member that is caught in possession of
pornography will be dealt with through the relevant disciplinary
procedures. The material and the device on which the material
is displayed will be confiscated by the school.
12.4.3 The school Code of Conduct does not allow anyone to film
anything on the school premises without the permission of the
Principal.
12.5 Initiation Practices
12.5.1 No initiation practices will be allowed in the school. Any person
who conducts or participates in initiation practices against a
learner is guilty of misconduct and disciplinary action will be
instituted against such a person in accordance with the
applicable code of conduct
12.5.2 Any person within the school found subjecting learners to
initiation practices will be charged with serious misconduct.
12.6 Confidentiality
The stakeholders must ensure that reported cases and acts of
intimidation, maltreatment, rape, abuse, neglect, degradation or
exploitation will be treated with confidentiality.
12.7 Occupational Health and Safety
(a) Prospectus Novus School will provide for the health and safety
of learners in connection with the activities of learners in the
school premises.
(b) The School Safety Team will advise on the emergency
evacuation procedures, which must be displayed in all offices,
classrooms and amenities.
(c) The school safety officer must ensure that fire extinguishers
are installed and maintained regularly, (maintenance
certificates to be filed).
Page 22(d) Rules for the safe use of chemicals and equipment in the
Natural Sciences class as well as for equipment in the
Technology class must be displayed in the laboratory.
(e) The school will ensure that first aid kits are fully equipped,
utilized and maintained on a regular basis.
(f) There should be First Aid Kit boxes in the main office, sick bay
and in specific allocated classes in the Foundation,
Intermediate and Senior Phase.
(g) The following list of contents should be kept in the first aid kit
and used to ensure that the first aid kit is always replenished:
12.7.1 Minimum Contents of Emergency First Aid Box
No. Item No. Item
1 roll of elastic adhesive (25mm
1 Wound Cleaner / antiseptic (100 ml) 11
3 m)
1 non-allergenic adhesives strips
2 Swabs for cleaning wounds 12
(25 3 m)
1 non-allergenic adhesives
3 Cotton wool for padding 13
dressing strips (25mm 3m)
4 first aid dressings (75 mm
4 Sterile gauze – minimum quantity 10 14
100 mm)
4 first aid dressings (150 mm
5 1 pair of forceps (for splinters) 15
200 mm)
1 pair of scissors (minimum size
6 16 2 straight splints
100mm)
2 pairs large and 2 pairs medium
7 1 set of safety pins 17
disposable latex gloves
2 CPR mouth pieces or similar
8 4 triangular bandages 18
devices
9 4 roller bandages ( 75 5 m) 19 1 Space blanket
10 4 roller bandages (100 mm 5m)
12.8 Allocation of Duty to Educators
12.8.1 In keeping with the requirements of PAM Chapter A Para 3.1
(i)(dd), all educators are expected to perform pastoral duties
and therefore be on duty points to monitor learners in toilets,
hallways, empty classrooms, at the school gates, in the school
grounds as well as scholar patrol.
Page 2312.8.2 A roster will be developed to facilitate daily monitoring of areas
around the school where any form of violence, bullying,
substance abuse may take place, and
12.8.3 An incidence book (Refer to Annexure D) must be maintained
daily for the purpose of reporting whether or not anything
occurred or not as well as what action was taken in cases
where incidents were observed.
13. COORDINATING STRUCTURE FOR SCHOOL SAFETY AT SCHOOL LEVEL
The School Safety Officer together with a School Safety Team shall co–
ordinate the following:
(a) All school safety programmes, including campaigns at the school and
the displaying of safety signs, including the rights to admission to the
school;
(b) Develop a Safety Plan that will outline action plans to counter threats
of violence; (Refer to Annexure B)
(c) Forge partnerships with all relevant government departments at school
level, including community – based organisations and the school
community;
(d) Support learners/educators that are experiencing serious safety
issues;
(e) Advise DSSC on training programmes to empower stakeholders on
safety issues in the District,
(f) Represent the School on matters relating to safety and give feedback
to the school safety committee;
(g) Monitor the implementation of the safety policy and plans, through:
(i) Observation,
(ii) Collecting and analysing data and reports on issues that
impact on School Safety, and
(iii) Reporting timeously to SMT and DSSC on progress with plans,
challenges,
trends and action taken.
(h) Together with the SBST:
(i) Identify learners at risk and keep their profile, and
(ii) Inform the parents of the above learners about the risks facing
their children and what actions will be taken by the committee.
(i) Identify the hot spot areas in the school for frequent monitoring; and
(j) Make the necessary referrals to the relevant stakeholders according to
the nature of the violence and crime
(k) Organise quarterly information sharing meetings with the relevant
stakeholders.
Page 2413.1 Composition of the School Safety Team
Note: In cases where the School already has a committee through the Occupational
Health and Safety Act, they will continue to operate as the school safety team and the
composition should, at minimum have the same representation below:
SCHOOL SAFETY TEAM
SCHOOL SAFETY CHAIRPERSON PRINCIPAL
OFFICER JZ Sukazi JJ Kingma
A Ackerman
PS STAFF MEMBER
2 X PEER MEDIATORS
A J v Rensburg
L Aveling &
S Kruger 1 X RCL MEMBER
M Matlala
13.2 Roles and Responsibilities
13.2.1 Principal
(a) Must engage in advocacy campaigns to communicate to the public the
status of the school safety,
(b) Oversee safety matters in the school,
(c) Maintain and update the Register of misconduct (Refer to Annexure
C),
(d) Report incidents of violence and crime to the relevant stakeholders
(i.e. Parent/s, SAPS, District Office and the SGB),
(e) Make referrals of incidents of violence and crime to the relevant
stakeholders,
(f) Serve on the School Safety Team, and
(g) Encourage governing body members and parents to participate in
community policing forums.
13.2.2 School Governing Body Rep
(a) Chair all meetings of the School Safety Team and in his/her absence
delegate the chairpersonship to another member of the team
Page 25(b) Develop the school safety policy together with the School Safety
Team.
(c) Promote school-community partnerships.
(d) Ensure that the School Safety Team is functional.
(e) Ensure that the School Safety Team is headed by the Safety Officer.
(f) The chairperson should ensure that the SGB receives activity reports
from the Safety Team.
13.2.3 School Safety Officer
(a) An officer at school level who co–ordinates the activities of the School
Safety Committee,
(b) Monitor the implementation of the Safety Plan and report to the
principal on a weekly basis,
(c) Maintain and update the incident report (Refer to Annexure D),
(d) Co –ordinate with the permission of the Principal, Searches and
Seizures as contemplated in section 4(3) of GG No. 22754 of October
2001,
(e) Keep records of all visitors to the school,
(f) Organise School Safety meetings as determined by the School Safety
Team,
(g) Mobilise Community structures to assist the school to be Violence
free, Drug free, Gun free and Crime free, and
(h) To co-operate with police stations to ensure visible policing during all
sporting and cultural events at the school.
13.2.4 Educator Rep
(a) Safeguard the safety of learners at all times,
(b) Ensuring that the Safety Policy is implemented on a daily basis in the
classroom/school,
(c) Report all Safety issues to the Safety Officer, and
(d) Attend/represent the Safety Team in external meetings as requested
by the School Safety Team.
13.2.5 RCL Rep
(a) Mobilise learners to report any activity that might jeopardize the safety
of the school environment,
(b) Mobilise learners to take responsibility of looking after the school
property and make learners aware that any learner who intentionally
misuses, damages or defaces school property shall have his/her
parent/ guardian paying for its repair, and
(c) Motivate learners to attend school regularly and punctually.
Page 2613.2.6 Peer Mediators
(a) Form peer support groups that promote empowerment to safety issues
for learners;
(b) Ensure that learners are aware of the safety policy & what to do in the
case of safety related incidents;
(c) Assist the peers in settling disputes in a manner satisfying to all
parties (keep many minor incidents from escalating over time into
more serious incidents);
13.2.7 Support Staff
(a) Ensure that school gates are locked and controlled during school
hours and unlocked after school.
(b) Report school maintenance and threatening issues to the Principal
and School Safety Officer, and
(c) Attend/represent Safety Team in external meetings as requested by
the Safety Team.
13.3 COVID-19 Committee
During the COVID-19 the committee will be responsible for all virus
related matters in the school. The members are:
CHAIRPERSON JJ KINGMA
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON A ACKERMAN
SCRIBE R ELS
MEMBER Q HENWICK
MEMBER L AVELING
MEMBER R BOSHOFF
MEMBER K ROBERTS
MEMBER H MEYER
MEMBER M ERASMUS
MEMBER S WATHEN
MEMBER FF PRETORIUS
MEMBER D HAASBOEK
MEMBER C J V RENSBURG
MEMBER J PRINSLOO
SGB MEMBER J SUKAZI
14. REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
(a) All incidents that take place at the school must be reported to the
Principal (if not the Perpetrator). In cases where the Principal is the
perpetrator, the incident must be reported to the cluster leader of the
school.
Page 27(b) Once incidents are reported, the Principal or cluster leader should
follow the steps set out in Annexure A.
15. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
15.1 Performance Management of the Committee must be done on
quarterly basis. The main aim will be to monitor the progress
with the implementation of the School Safety Plan.
15.2 The following key success aspects must be taken into
consideration, whether they have been met or not. i.e.:
o Objectives
o Inputs
o Impact/Outcome
o Learner involvement;
o Promotion of School Safety Policy
This policy will be displayed openly in the
school.
This policy will be made available to each
learner/educator and/or PS Staff member in the
official language of teaching on registration.
This policy shall clarify in positive terms what
the expectations of the school are.
o The following actions shall be taken to clarify the
expectation of the school to learners:
Each learner must be given a copy at the
beginning of each year, younger learners at
primary to be informed verbally.
Classroom rules must be pasted in the class.
Each employee must be given a copy on the
assumption of duty.
16. THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN RESPONDING TO COVID-19
COVID-19 is mainly a respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) virus, and we are
learning more about it every day. There is no vaccine available to protect against
COVID-19 at present. Thus, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid exposure to the
virus that causes COVID-19. Preventing transmission (spread) of the virus through
everyday practices is the best way to keep people healthy. Childcare facilities and
schools, working together with local health departments, play an important role in
slowing the spread of diseases, to ensure that learners have safe and healthy learning
Page 28environments. More detailed information on COVID-19 is available here on the following
websites:
• www.nicd.ac.za
• www.health.gov.za
• www.education.gov.za.
• www.sacoronavirus.co.za
It is critical that childcare facilities and schools plan and prepare to mitigate community
transmission. As the global outbreak evolves, schools should prepare for the possibility
of community-level outbreaks, as well as the possibility of stay-at-home or lockdown
orders for learners, staff, whole classes or grades, or the entire school community, if
recommended by health officials. Decisions regarding appropriate public health
interventions should always be made in consultation with public health officials who
have access to all of the relevant information. These decisions include a) whether
learners or educators should stay at home for a period of time; and b) whether learners
in sections of a school or the entire school should be dismissed from attendance. All
childcare facilities and schools should be prepared for these orders if a COVID-19
outbreak is reported in their communities.
16.1. STEPS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN A SCHOOL OR
EDUCATION INSTITUTION
16.1.1 The education sector supports the national efforts to fight the spread of COVID-
19 by providing knowledge regarding prevention, treatment, care and support of
those who are infected among learners, educators, school support staff, parents
and school communities. School administrators must take steps to prevent or
slow the spread of all infectious respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
Childcare facilities and schools must be COVID-19-free zones.
16.1.2 This coronavirus is a new virus and there is no vaccine available at present.
However, many of the symptoms can be treated. It is recommended that under-
fives get the seasonal flu vaccine from the nearest health facility or at a local
pharmacy. Early care from a healthcare provider can lead to an increased rate of
recovery.
16.1.3 All learners, educators, support staff, officials, parents and communities should:
• heed the directives issued by the President and the guidance provided by the
National Department of Health;
• avoid public gatherings of over 50 people as the disease is spread through
direct contact with the respiratory droplets of an infected person, which are
generated through coughing and sneezing;
• maintain a physical distance of at least 1m with others, at all times;
• avoid direct contact with others e.g. shaking hands or hugging;
Page 29• frequently wash hands with water and soap. (If water is not available, use a
60% alcohol-based hand sanitiser to disinfect hands.);
• avoid touching the face (i.e. eyes, nose, mouth) with unwashed hands;
• practice cough etiquette by coughing into the elbow or a tissue and disposing
the used tissue in a bin with a lid;
• consult a healthcare facility if there is a suspected COVID-19 infection;
• inform the school health team and education authorities immediately if a
learner, educator, support staff or parent/caregiver has been in direct contact
with an infected person, or if they are diagnosed with COVID-19;
• eradicate all forms of stigma and discrimination in the education sector,
including in schools and childcare facilities; and
• advocate for disclosure as it is in the public domain to ensure for ease
on tracking and tracing.
16.1.4 Principals must make sure that everyone in the school has up-to-date information
on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For updates and the latest
information, refer to the following resources:
• National Department of Health: http://www.health.gov.za/
• National Institute for Communicable Diseases: https://www.nicd.ac.za
• National Institute for Occupational Health: http://www.nioh.ac.za/
• World Health Organization: https://www.who.int
• Department of Basic Education: https://www.education.gov.za/
• National Health Laboratory Service: https://www.nhls.ac.za
• COVID-19 Online Resource & News Portal: www.sacoronavirus.co.za
• NICD Toll-Free Emergency Hotline for COVID-19: 0800 029 999
• WhatsApp Support Line for COVID-19: Send HI to 0600 123 456
• WhatsApp TeacherConnect: Send HI to 0600 603 333
16.2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SMT, SGBS AND STAFF
16.2.1 SMT, SGB and staff members must monitor the implementation of the SOP and
stay informed about COVID-19 through reputable sources such as the NICD, the
DBE and the DoH and share this information with all stakeholders and monitor
the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
16.2.2 Establish an advocacy programme for learners to explain COVID-19.
16.2.3 Establish a COVID-19 response team led by the Principal (COVID-19 point-
person) to coordinate all COVID-related activities including internal and external
communication.
16.2.4 Place signs or posters encouraging good hand and respiratory hygiene practices
(These posters must be accessible to the learners at that school. For
example, for Blind learners, these should be in Braille).
Page 3016.2.5 Reinforce frequent handwashing and proper sanitation practices.
16.2.6 Prepare and maintain handwashing stations with soap and water, and if possible,
place 60% alcohol-based hand sanitisers in each classroom, at entrances and
exits, and near lunchrooms and toilets. Note that for learners
with visual impairment who rely on touch, additional sanitisers and personal
sanitisers must be provided.
16.2.7 Ensure that cleaning staff clean and disinfect school buildings2 thoroughly and
regularly, following the environmental health cleaning and decontamination
protocols.
16.2 Many schools catering for learners with physical disabilities will have increased
“high touch” areas, including walls as a result of the needs of learners. (e.g.
holding on rails or surfaces throughout the school. These surfaces will need to
be sanitised far more regularly than surfaces in other schools.
16.2.9 Blind learners trail and touch walls almost automatically in an attempt to find their
way. This puts them at greater risk of possible infection. Therefore, i) these areas
need more frequent sanitising; and ii) learners need to be alerted to the need for
more frequent washing of hands. In this regard, learners should understand the
additional importance of and not touching their faces.
16.2.10 Ensure that trash is removed daily and disposed of safely.
16.2.11 Ensure that SGBs notify PEDs to procure hand sanitisers, soap and disposable
drying material for all classrooms, toilets, offices and staffrooms.
16.2.12 Ensure that schools or school halls are not used for funerals or any other public
gatherings to minimise contamination of school facilities and to observe the
social gathering restrictions.
17. ACCESS CONTROL FOR PARENTS AND THIRD PARTIES
17.1 The SMT and SGB must ensure that:
17.1.1 Strict access control measures are established, including the signing of a register
by all visitors.
17.1.2 All visitors wear a face mask and sanitise their hands at the entry point.
17.1.3 All visitors report to the reception area.
17.1.4. All visitors, except government officials as per provisions of the SASA Act
84 of 1996: Regulations for safety measures at public schools, paragraph
6: Exemption of certain persons e.g. from the SAPS, SADF, the DBE and DOH,
make an appointment and state the nature of their visit government officials,
make an appointment and state the nature of their visit.
17.1.5 There is regular communication with parents via newsletters, telephone, bulk
SMSs, emails, etc. to minimise meetings/gatherings with parents.
17.1.6 There are very limited class-based parents’ meetings3.
Page 3118 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR SUPPORTING SPECIFIC LEARNER NEEDS
18.1 Notwithstanding the generality of these SOP, it is acknowledged that, just as with
adults, the risk of contracting COVID-19 may be significantly different for learners
with co-morbidities and learners with different disabilities. It is, therefore, critical
to know, understand and implement the specific health and safety measures
required for each individual learner. These SOP provide guidance throughout as
to the specific considerations that must be given for learners with disabilities.
Detailed guidelines for the containment and management of COVID-19 for the
different types of disabilities obtainable on the website of the Department of
Basic Education under Links for Schools are also appended to this document.
18.2 Learners with disabilities are included in ordinary, full service and special schools
throughout the country. As such, it is important that ALL schools and District
officials are aware of the specific needs that learners may have and that these
are provided for in whatever school setting the learner attends.
18.3 Below are some of the key considerations to be borne in mind when supporting
learners with different disabilities in different school settings.
18..4 There are a number of different types of disabilities, (including: physical,
intellectual, sensory, neurological), each of which might affect a learner
differently, depending on the nature of the disability and the extent of its severity.
It is important to ensure the particular needs of each individual learner are
understood and catered for to ensure that their health and safety can be
protected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
18.5 Learners with disabilities usually benefit from curriculum, therapeutic, medical
and other support whilst at school. Depending on underlying health conditions
and co-morbidities, learners with disabilities may be at greater risk of developing
more severe cases of COVID-19 if they become infected. This may be because
of COVID-19 exacerbating existing health conditions, particularly those related to
respiratory function, immune system function, heart disease or diabetes and
barriers to accessing health care. These learners may also be disproportionately
impacted by the outbreak of the virus, because of serious disruptions to the
services and supports, including personal assistance and therapeutic support
they rely on.
18.6 Given the importance of continuing to provide the necessary support that
learners need whilst also containing the spread of COVID-19 in schools, each
school or institution must develop relevant standard operating procedures to
respond to the context- specific issues, by using the guidance contained in this
document as well as in the detailed guidelines for specific types of disabilities to
Page 32be obtainable in the website of the Department of Basic Education under Links
for Schools found in the appendices.
18.7 Schools must provide the learner with information regarding procedures and
requirements in accessible modalities. This will include the use of sign language
for Deaf learners, braille materials for blind learners, the use of
picture boards and other visual prompts for Autistic learners and learners with
intellectual disability. It is important to discuss the steps in easy- to-understand
detail and inform the learner what he/s/he would be required to do. (For more
details refer to the guidelines in the appendices)8.6.1. Keep in mind that blind
and partially sighted learners may not be able to see demarcation lines. They will
require assistance such as being guided verbally; using physical barriers to
indicate where to stand or using their canes to judge the distance between
themselves and other people. This may require additional staff on duty to assist
visually impaired learners.
18.8 It is important to recognise that learners with intellectual disability may have
varying, understanding and sometimes limited, cognitive understandings of the
spread and transmission of the COVID-19, and may struggle to adhere to social
distancing, handwashing and mask wearing protocols. Therefore, they will
require direct, deliberate and repeated instruction to learn the different
procedures they need to adhere to, for e.g. that social distancing means no
physical contact, no touching, no hugging, no shaking hands or any other
physical greeting of their peers, educators and non-educator staff.
18.9 Many learners may not immediately be familiar with adhering to the requirements
and regulations for containing the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, schools must
exercise some patience and not regard every behaviour as a transgression for a
reasonable period until these become a routine to learners.
18.10 Learners who have epilepsy face the same health challenges as learners who do
not have the condition and are otherwise healthy. For this reason, learners who
have epilepsy should exercise the same habits and preventative measures that
healthy people would typically take, such as social distancing; avoiding contact
with sick people; washing hands regularly; disinfecting surfaces regularly; and
avoiding touching hands, eyes, nose and mouth.
18.11 Learners However, having said that, epilepsy is a very varied condition. Learners
with epilepsy may have other medical problems that could place them at higher
risk of developing more severe symptoms with COVID-19. For example, learners
who have problems swallowing or frequently inhale
food or liquids into their lungs (aspiration) are at higher risk for pneumonia. In
these instances, additional support measures must be identified and put in place.
18.12 Learners who have had seizures in the classroom or playground must not be
excluded from learning. The school must identify such learners and use the
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