Over 11,000 bullying incidents reported at SA schools in the last year

OVER 11,000 incidents of bullying have been reported in public schools in the last year.

This was according to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube in response to a parliamentary inquiry by the EFF’s Lencel Komane.

Komane had asked about the number of reported incidents of bullying and abuse by learners against other learners in the past 12 months, and the steps the department is taking to help schools address the issue of bullying.

Gwarube said the management, collection, and verification of bullying incident data fall under Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) responsibilities.

“According to the provincial reports submitted to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), a total of 11,194 incidents of bullying were reported by PEDs between October 2024 and September 2025 in public ordinary schools,” Gwarube said.

“The DBE fulfils a national policy, monitoring, and supporting role. It receives aggregated data from provinces to identify trends, strengthen national policy, and guide coordinated responses through the National School Safety Framework (NSSF), the DBE-SAPS (SA Police Service) Implementation Protocol, and other interdepartmental mechanisms.” 

Gwarube said the department has implemented comprehensive and collaborative programmes and strategies with provinces, districts, and schools to address bullying and promote safe, supportive school environments.

These include the NSSF which serves as the guiding policy for preventing and managing school violence, including bullying. It empowers schools to identify risks, form Safety Committees (teachers, School Governing Body (SGB), police), and develop incident reporting systems. The DBE, PEDs, and districts continuously provide training on the NSSF. The DBE and Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute also launched an SACE-accredited digital NSSF course, allowing teachers to earn 15 Professional Development Points (PDPs).

The DBE also developed the Addressing Bullying in Schools Manual to guide schools in identifying, preventing, and responding to bullying. An updated version, strengthened through stakeholder consultations, was being finalised (scheduled for November 12, 2025).

Under the South African Schools Act, all public schools are required to adopt Codes of Conduct for Learners, developed by SGBs after consultation with learners, parents, and teachers. These codes outline acceptable behaviour, disciplinary procedures, and sanctions. They must align with the Constitution, the South African Schools Act, and provincial law.

The revised DBE-SAPS Implementation Protocol coordinates joint school safety interventions. These include linking each public school with a local police station, conducting crime awareness campaigns, and executing search-and-seizure operations. Schools also collaborate with social workers and Community Police Forums to manage violent incidents.

In collaboration with PEDs and civil-society partners, districts also conduct regular anti-bullying dialogues, assemblies, and debates. The DBE said it monitors these activities through the District Monitoring of School Safety Programmes annually.

Learners affected by bullying (victims or perpetrators) are also referred for counselling and follow-up care via Learner Support Agents, social workers, or psychologists through School-Based Support Teams (SBSTs). SBSTs ensure early identification and professional referral.

The department acknowledged that bullying reflects wider social issues including violence, poverty, digital exposure, and addressing it demands a collective effort and shared responsibility from all stakeholders: parents, caregivers, teachers, and partners.

Cape Times