Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement
for the degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
in the
Department of Educational Psychology and
Special Education of the
Faculty of Education
at the
University of Zululand, 2010. / The study investigated the effect of crime in schools on a culture of teaching and learning. In this study the researcher employed a survey to achieve the aims of the study, and a questionnaire to obtain facts and opinions about the effect of crime in schools on a culture of teaching and learning. All children between the ages of 7 and 15 have a right to education. However, this right becomes meaningless unless the Department of Education, principals, educators, parents, children, learners, citizens and community members commit themselves to curbing crime and making the school environment conducive to learning.
Crime has a negative influence on the morale of both educators and learners, as well as the culture of teaching and learning. Each educator and learner has the right to work and play in a secure and safe school environment and neighbourhood. Therefore it is important to do everything possible to eliminate crime in schools and neighbourhoods.
Schools need to create a space where educators can teach and learners can learn. Teaching and learning require a safe and tolerant learning environment that celebrates innocence and values human dignity.
From the literature study it became clear that many of the young people of South Africa will end up as drug addicts, violent criminals and anti-social individuals, rather than being an asset to the nation and the country’s economy. According to Shone (2007:27) crime is a “runaway train, reckless, out of control, unpredictably dangerous, picking up speed as it careers down the track towards schools”.
For the purpose of the empirical investigation, a self-structured questionnaire for educators was utilized. The data obtained from the completed questionnaires was processed and analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. The findings from the empirical study confirmed that crime in schools has a negative effect on a culture of teaching and learning.
In conclusion a summary of the study was presented and based on the findings of the literature and empirical study, the following recommendations were made:
The Department of Education must develop a practical formal policy on the safety of schools in collaboration with stakeholders like community structures, local private security companies, the South African Police Service, Social Workers and Psychologists.
Sufficient human and financial resources must be made available by the Department of Education for the training, supervision and monitoring of the school safety policy.
The Department of Education must also encourage communities, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and business, to support school safety initiatives and promote a safe learning environment.
The school’s code of conduct must be consulted when school safety policy is formulated. The code of conduct’s primary function is to ensure the safety of learners at school.
A code of conduct should contain regulations outlining the rules that the principal and the governing body must ensure are included in the code. The code of conduct must, inter alia:
• aim to establish a disciplined and purposeful school environment; dedicated to the improvement and maintenance of a quality learning process,
• outline how learners who disobey the code of conduct will be punished,
• include a process for protecting the learner and any other party involved in disciplinary proceedings, and
• include rules relating to school wear (cf.5.4.1).
For the code of conduct to be functional and successful class teachers must ensure that:
• All learners have a copy of the code of conduct.
• A copy of the code of conduct is displayed on the notice board in the classroom.
• Learners follow the regulations as laid down in the code of conduct.
• A code of conduct is periodically scrutinized by the school safety committee and amended when necessary.
The school safety policy must have clear and concise directives as to what is expected from the regions, districts, circuits, wards and schools.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uzulu/oai:uzspace.unizulu.ac.za:10530/414 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Thabethe, Bhekumuzi Muzingendoda |
| Contributors | Vos, M.S. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
Page generated in 0.0019 seconds