“Teachers must ensure learners’ safety,” laments activist following school drownings

Education activist, Hendrick Makaneta, has called on government to strengthen its hand of support to schools and teachers amid concerns over deaths of learners during school trips and within the premises of the educational institutions.

In the latest incident, two boys from Daveyton Skills School in Benoni drowned on Monday, while attending a school discipline camp in Tshwane.

The boys, aged 13 and 16, were due to return home to their families the same day.

Authorities say one of the boys had jumped into the river to rescue the other, before they both succumbed.

It’s unclear at this stage whether they both could swim, and whether a teacher or lifeguard was on duty at the time of the tragedy.

Speaking to YNews, Makaneta says in the absence of parents, teachers have a duty to ensure learners are safe.

At the same time, opposition parties have slammed the Gauteng Education Department for its failure to implement stricter safety measures at schools following a string of scholar deaths in the province.

The political parties say recent school shootings and scholar transport accidents continue to put pupils at risk.

DA Shadow MEC for Education, Sergio Isa Dos Santos, has accused the department of failing to learn from past tragedies.

He’s urging government to urgently intervene.

Since January, school stabbings, scholar transport accidents and learner drownings during school excursions have claimed at least six young lives.

The Gauteng Education Department meanwhile says it’s saddened by the drowning of the two learners on Monday.

Officials have promised to uncover what circumstance led to the incident as investigations get underway.

They will be visiting the school today.