TITLE:
School Safety in Township Schools: Case Study of Secondary Schools in the Tshwane North District in Gauteng Province of South Africa
AUTHORS:
Shubi Mossica Molekwa, Ephraim Matala Kgwete
KEYWORDS:
School Safety, Safety Measures, Safety and Security, Township Schools
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Applied Sociology,
Vol.16 No.10,
October
22,
2026
ABSTRACT: Crime is a global challenge, and regrettably affects all sectors of the society. The education sector is not spared from this scourge. South Africa, just like many other countries is constantly facing multiple crimes that overlap into schools and threaten school safety. The problem is that a lack of adequate safety and security measures is causing a variety of crimes to thrive in South African schools. The South African government legislated school safety measures to mitigate the challenge. This study investigates the perceptions of secondary school teachers on school safety measures in the Tshwane North district in Gauteng province of South Africa. This qualitative study used an interpretive paradigm. A case study design was employed in the study. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Thematic data analysis was employed. This study is underpinned by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory. Findings revealed that community factors play a huge role, since public schools are often located in disadvantaged communities that are characterized by higher crime rates or prevalent gang activity, where substances such as alcohol, drugs, and firearms are readily accessible. To make the public secondary school in Tshwane safer, the researcher suggested installing surveillance cameras, engaging the community more, implementing restorative discipline strategies, and promoting safe reporting mechanisms by ensuring that reported incidents are investigated promptly and without bias.