/ 16 April 1987

Teachers go on full alert for May Day

White school principals in the Transvaal have been instructed to ensure that teachers patrol their schools in pairs on "sensitive" days in the calender, according to the National Education Union of South Africa. This initiative forms part of the Transvaal Education Department's "emergency plan" to combat guerrilla attacks on white schools, which has been implemented with the cooperation of the Joint Management Committees.

A document listing several "sensitive" days on which schools were to be placed on special alert because of fear of guerrilla attacks was shown to the Weekly Mail by a Neusa representative. Among the days listed were March 21 (Sharpeville day), May 1 (May Day), June 16 (Soweto Day) and September 4 (Sebokeng Day).

The Neusa representative said the school-patrolling programme had already been implemented on these days last year, and that in some schools pupils were also involved in the process. One of the plan's provisions is that where children are transported to or through unrest areas they should be accompanied in each vehicle by two teachers armed with guns. The children should not be made aware that their teachers are armed.

According to Mensa, the secret document, "Emergency Plan for Colleges, Schools and Hostels", has been handed to the principals of all TED high schools in the FWY area. The document may also have been circulated elsewhere, throughout the Transvaal. A Mensa representative said she was also aware of several junior school principals who had received the document.

"Principals received this plan with instructions that it was only to be shown to selected heads of department and not to other members of staff, possibly because many teachers are opposed to the government and they fear its exposure would provoke hysteria," she said. She said the plan was not being taken seriously by all principals; it was regarded as "a bit of a joke".

Among the sections of the document regarded as absurd were the curt instructions on how to respond in the event of the abduction of a principal of staff member, she said. "If principal is abducted and ordered to give instructions to staff and pupils, make use of a code-word, as a warning NOT to follow instructions …. Change in form of address can be used as code-word," the document notes.

In the event of a "terrorist attack or tornado during breaks … or during change of classes" the appropriate action suggested is for children to "drop to ground at once" and "crawl for cover (eg rocks, tree, ditch etc) and lie still until danger has past". In a section on "conduct of hostages" the following instructions are given: "Do not be afraid of taking food and drink given to you by the terrorists. It will almost certainly have been provided by the police, and as such will not contain any harmful substances."

Some of the key provisions of the "emergency plan" are the following:

  • The appointment of a teacher as a school security officer who should address staff and pupils monthly on security matters.
  • The selection of block leaders who are to be equipped with radios.
  • A system of checking and controlling alt persons and vehicles entering or leaving the school site.
  • Routine bomb searches in likely bomb sites and in school buses.
  • People opening school post should be aware of "possible undesirable reading matter" and of letter bombs.
  • Careful noting of telephoned bomb threats.
  • The provision of an emergency alarm system. When the signal is given "all concerned must drop to the ground, crawl or roll to shelter as practised".
  • Training in the use of rifles is essential and will be given by commandos."

The TED was not prepared to comment on the Weekly Mail's enquiries about the role of the JMCs in drawing up the document, how widely it had been distributed or whether there was any imminent threat of guerrilla attack.