GDE working to strengthen govt gazette on school excursions following drownings
Speaking at a funeral of two pupils who drowned at a school camp in Centurion earlier this month, Education MEC Matome Chiloane said there are many loopholes in the gazette that contribute to schools not following protocol.
On 24 April 2024, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane attended the funeral of Siphamandla Peterson (15) and Sibusiso Sibiya (17) - two Daveyton Skills School pupils who drowned during a discipline camp in Centurion earlier in April. Picture: X/@matomekopano
JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Education Department says it’s working to strengthen the government gazette on school excursions, to ensure that all institutions adhere to the rules.
Provincial Education MEC Matome Chiloane was speaking on Wednesday, at the funeral service of two pupils who drowned at a discipline camp in Centurion earlier this month.
Siphamandla Peterson and Sibusiso Sibiya attended Daveyton Skills School.
This is the second drowning incident in the province to occur during a school excursion since the beginning of the year.
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Chiloane said there were many loopholes in the gazette that contributed to schools not following protocol.
"We are going to strengthen it with ambiguous letters. We think we have words like ‘within reasonable measure’... what is reasonable measure? We need to be specific so that in future, when such an incident happens, every teacher and school management understands that these are the dos and the don’ts...there is no middle ground."
Chiloane said the department would also be strict when it comes to dealing with schools that have broken the law during the planning of excursions.
"Those who have taken trips, as soon as we find out that there was a trip undertaken and we know, whether no child was injured or not, we are still going to charge you. We are still going to take it up with the school. Someone is going to be charged and that’s how it’s going to be."