Despite 417 schools having received security from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) over the school holiday, 42 schools have reported incidents of vandalism and burglary during the closures.
MEC David Maynier said this was a small increase compared with the same period last year, when 38 schools reported incidents.
A major incident involved damage estimated at more than R121 000, but an overall estimation of damage amounted to close to R1 million.
“The total cost of all the incidents is currently estimated at R808 600, with the estimates for some of the incidents still outstanding.
“That means that nearly R1m that could have been spent on educating our learners now must be spent on fixing wanton damage,” he said.
Items stolen or damaged included bathroom fixtures, fencing, solar panels, consumables such as stationery and cleaning materials, tablets and ICT equipment, security and electrical equipment and bicycles.
Criminals even stole packs of sanitary pads, first-aid kits and in some incidents break-ins occurred while there were security guards on duty.
“Of particular concern is that some of the schools which fell victim to crime over the holidays had security guards, cameras and other security features in place.
“We need to better understand what our schools need to ensure that they are safe from criminal attacks,” said Maynier.
He thanked school communities for keeping a close eye on schools and reporting suspicious activity in their areas.
Maynier said he will seek a meeting with the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, to discuss progress on these and the cases reported by schools and the department previously.
Weekend Argus