As the 2025 school year draws to an end, with matriculants having written their last exam and pupils in other grades awaiting their final results, South Africans are winding down in anticipation of the festive season.
But within a few weeks, schools will once again be preparing for the new academic year, and more than 13 million pupils in the country’s public and independent schools will be starting or returning to school.
Yet a serious issue that threatens schooling in our country needs to be reflected upon, and urgent interventions developed so that pupils can be safe in our schools.
Bullying, which has gripped schools in South Africa, is at crisis level and measures to prevent it need to be part of planning for the new school year.
Additionally, rather than treat the festive season as a time for fun activities, parents need to use the time to be fully engaged with their children so that they understand them better.
Just more than a month ago, a video circulated on social media showing a 16-year-old Grade 10 pupil being violently assaulted by a group of eight pupils at Milnerton High School in the Western Cape.
The perpetrators included members of the school’s first rugby team.
The victim, the child of a member of parliament, could be seen enduring unimaginable beatings with a wooden stick and leather belts.
So horrific was the incident that the portfolio committee on basic education visited the school and strongly condemned the incident, calling for urgent action.
The eight boys were suspended from the school. Six of then appeared in court on assault charges and were released on bail, while two minors were released on warning.
This incident is part of a wider national concern about violence and bullying in South African schools, which has increased over the years.
In some cases, victims of bullying have died by suicide after months, and even years, of enduring bullying from their peers.
In 2025 alone, more than a dozen cases of pupils dying by suicide after being bullied have been reported.
Mbali Mlaba, a 13-year-old Grade 7 pupil in the Free State, took her own life after allegedly being repeatedly bullied by a classmate. She had reportedly requested a transfer to another school.
Niyaaz Smith, a 14-year-old Grade 8 pupil in Cape Town, died by suicide after being bullied by his peers. His pleas for help from teachers reportedly went unanswered.
Lerato, a Grade 10 pupil at El Shaddai in Sharpeville, Gauteng, died by suicide after enduring continuous bullying. It was reported that the family’s attempts to intervene were unsuccessful as the principal allegedly protected the bullies.
The list is endless.
All these incidents expose significant failures within school systems, including inadequate anti-bullying policies or enforcement, the inaction of teachers and administrative staff, and a lack of psychosocial support as many victims of bullying do not receive professional psychological counselling or adequate support after traumatic bullying experiences.
But they also expose the absence of parents and communities in school life. This is despite the important role that parents must play in the prevention of bullying.
Parents can prevent bullying by fostering open communication with their children, teaching them empathy and respect, and encouraging confidence and social skills.
They should also model positive behaviour, stay involved in their child’s life by monitoring friendships and online activity, and work with the school to create a plan if bullying occurs.
The significant role of parents in preventing bullying is the reason why, this festive season, parents must not just focus on rest and fun activities, but also on paying attention to their children as they prepare for the 2026 academic year that begins in just a few weeks.
The Herald
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