2019 “Breaking the Code of Silence” Seminar

The first in a series of day-long seminars aimed at making high schools safer for learners was held at Durban High School on Friday, 10 May.

Educators, Governing Bodies, and other stakeholders have long been addressing the challenges within traditional school systems and structures. They are now looking to initiate discussions on improving ways to safeguard students. In pursuit of this goal, The Guardian, the Governing Body Foundation, Digi Comms, and Durban High School have organised a series of seminars focusing on various areas of concern: bullying, inappropriate educator-learner relationships, "Blessers," drugs, gangs, social media protocols, and infrastructure, among others.

The inaugural seminar focused on prioritising these concerns, beginning with a session on inappropriate educator-learner relationships. Marc Hardwick, Founder and Managing Director of The Guardian, remarked, “It is evident that a range of social issues in South African schools is perpetuated by the cultures of silence that we inadvertently foster. In many schools, silence is part of the informal ‘Code of Conduct,’ and this needs to be addressed to make our schools safer for everyone.” The Guardian’s expertise in this area led them to partner with the association for this seminar.

To delve into this complex issue, a carefully selected panel of speakers and keynote presenters was assembled. They included SAMSOSA consultant Luke Lamprecht, who explored how the education system fosters a culture of silence and how to break it. Lamprecht has authored several insightful articles on the Parktown Boys High case. Terence Dowdall, former Head of Clinical Psychology at UCT, discussed why learners may hesitate to speak out and how to support them. Marc Hardwick from The Guardian provided an overview of psychological guidelines and legal considerations regarding handling disclosures as a staff member or adult.

The seminar featured interactive panel discussions with experts addressing current challenges in learner safety and best practices for safe schools. The panel included Luke Lamprecht, organisational culture and change management expert Rajen Reddy, CEO of the Governing Body Foundation Dr Anthea Cereseto, Marc Hardwick, a representative from the Child Protection Unit, and Val Melis, Senior Public Prosecutor for crimes against children. Personal testimonies were shared by survivor Dr Graham Bell and former Governing Body Chairman Justin Paul.

Workshops tackled issues such as the “Blessers” culture in South African schools and safeguarding learners on social media. Additionally, information exhibits were hosted by various specialist service providers, NGOs, and experts in the field.

The seminar was hosted by Durban High School. “This inaugural seminar emerged from extensive discussions among educators and child-care professionals over time,” said DHS Headmaster Tony Pinheiro. “We wanted to bring together all concerned parties to collaboratively and proactively develop strategies to make schools safer for our learners and to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges we face.”

The day-long Safer Schools Seminar took place at Durban High School on Friday, 10 May and was open to high school management, educators, Governing Body Members, and RCL members.