The National School Safety Framework: A framework for preventing violence in South African schools

Research has highlighted a range of consequences associated with learner victimisation affecting the physical, emotional and academic aspects of learners' lives. These consequences impact learners' performance at school and compromise their ability to desist from criminal and delinquent behaviour. The National School Safety Framework (NSSF) - approved by the Minister of Education in April 2015 - is located within a range of international and national laws and policies that recognise the safety of learners and educators as a prerequisite for quality learning and teaching at school. The framework affirms the commitment to the right of all children in South Africa to be protected from all forms of violence, and in so doing, aims to ensure safe and equitable access to quality education for children as set out in the National Development Plan of South Africa. The NSSF provides an important instrument through which minimum standards for safety at school can be established, implemented and monitored, and for which schools, districts and provinces can be held accountable. The Framework provides a systematic approach to ensuring that each member in the school body plays their role in creating and maintaining safe school environments. This perspective paper outlines the NSSF's approach to preventing school violence.