One of several unarmed security guards killed this year by gang members was shot at a Chatsworth school in April after approaching armed youths robbing the tuckshop. In any case, they have been retrenched unless the school governing bodies can afford to re-hire them. No disadvantaged school in the study offered counselling for pupils despite the high incidence and severity of violence. Despite the high levels of trauma that accompany modern school life, there is no budget for counsellors and no programme to provide them. Girls who have been raped or assaulted often have no counselling afterwards.
Townships are particularly hard-hit.
Last year one Newlands pupil committed suicide because of constant molestation and rape. In only one case did we find that learners were receiving an education in tolerance and diversity even where intolerance for those of other races, cultures, religions, gender, and sexual orientation was resulting in violence. Walk into any classroom in a so-called 'integrated' school, and children are sitting in racial groupings. Many classify each other by racial stereotypes and complain of racial groups that smell, steal, or act in some uniform way. This leads to name-calling, fighting and occasional death such as the stabbing at Forest Haven School in March.