Education Minister Kader Asmal on Monday called on Transport Minister Dullah Omar to request train operators to consider restricting the use of some train carriages for women only.
Asmal asserted that this would help reduce violence against girls on trains and reduce the overall levels of gender-based violence in society.
The call was made after the minister’s meeting with representatives of the school governing body associations, teacher unions and the South African Council of Educators to discuss issues of violence in schools and in other areas affecting school children.
Asmal?s call follows the announcement by a Japanese rail company on Monday that they had started running ”women only” cars during morning rush hours to protect female commuters from early bird gropers.
West Japan Railway was running the cars – off limits to men – weekdays between 5 am and 9 am in the western city of Osaka.
It was the third railway to introduce such cars in recent years, as female passengers increasingly speak out against uninvited sexual fondling that often occurs on Japan’s jam-packed trains.
Nearly 70% of West Japan’s groping complaints take place on the way to work.
Meanwhile, the South African Department of Education said the meeting acknowledged the fine work of most educators, but agreed on the urgent need to weed out all forms of abuse, with all parties agreeing to play their part in this.
The department was requested to speed up the finalisation of misconduct cases against educators, particularly those accused of sexual abuse of learners.
”The forum also agreed on the need for effective counselling services to be sited at district level, and for a protocol to guide the work of the Ministries of Social development and Safety and Security in dealing with children at risk. The Minister also emphasised the critical role that the school governing bodies need to play in making schools safe for all children,” the statement read.
Representatives of the various organisations also educated themselves to support the stance of the education department on safety schools. The representatives also expressed support and appreciation for the school workbook ”Signposts for Safe Schools,” and urged that it be distributed as soon as possible to all schools.
Asmal also announced that the education’s departments school safety project was designated the ”Steve Tshwete Safe School’s Project” after the late Minister of Safety and Security in recognition of his passion for school safety.
The minister also requested schools to establish ”hot-lines” to the local police stations, and that trauma centres be set up wherever possible to support the department’s commitment to a national toll free line which will deal with all aspects of violence in schools. – Sapa