The WCED prepared the following comment at the request of Voice of the Cape on 27 August 2008.

Callers reported 153 assaults to the Safe Schools Call Centre of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) between January and July this year.

The figure is about the same as that reported for the same period in 2007, when callers reported 157 incidents of assault.

While the figures do not suggest an increase in violence, the recent attack at a Gauteng school by a learner armed with a Samurai sword has provided an important wake-up call for all concerned.

Hopefully, we will learn from this that we cannot tolerate any form of abuse, and that we must build a culture of mutual respect, tolerance and compassion, in the home and at school.

We have to start by discouraging so-called "small things' such as teasing, name-calling and bullying, before behaviour escalates to harassment and violence.

Many schools already have programmes in place to deal with bullying, including peer counseling by learners themselves. Some of the most successful peer counselors are often former bullies themselves.

Schools can manage most incidents in terms of their codes of conduct.

The WCED has provided schools with guidelines called "Abuse no More" on how to deal effectively with any form of abuse, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

Our social workers, school psychologists, learner support teachers and officers, and Safe School coordinators are working with schools to deal with unacceptable behaviour, including bullying.

Our job in education is to prepare young people for life. This includes developing values and attitudes we need to lead successful lives and to build successful communities.