NN 07/2024
BESERINGS OP DIE SKOOLTERREIN EN AANSPREEKLIKHEID
Die professionele opvoeder se beroep vereis ʼn hoë graad van sorgsaamheid teenoor leerders. ‘n Opvoeder kan aanspreeklik gehou word indien ‘n leerder ‘n besering opdoen op die skoolterrein en of emosionele skade ly wat vermy kon word.
Die onderstaande is aspekte waarvan kennis geneem moet word om die breër konteks te verstaan met betrekking tot beserings op die skoolterrein.
Wat behels diligens paterfamilias?
Die rol van die opvoeder is om met diligens paterfamilias op te tree. Dit beteken dat die opvoeder soos ‘n ouer in ‘n normale huishouding moet optree met betrekking tot aandag en sorgsaamheid.
Wat behels in loco parentis?
In loco parentis beteken “in die plek van die ouer”. Dit impliseer dat die skool en opvoeder gedurende skoolaktiwiteite in die plek van die ouer staan ten einde sekere funksies te vervul. Dit sluit die onderstaande in:
- Die reg om gesag te handhaaf;
- Die verpligting om sorgsame toesighouding oor die leerders uit te oefen; en
- Die verpligting om na die veiligheid van leerders om te sien.
Wat behels sorgsaamheidsplig?
Die opvoeder se sorgsaamheidsplig sluit die plig in om die leerder te beskerm teen fisiese beserings, asook emosionele benadeling.
Die sorgsaamheidsplig van ‘n skool strek verder as om leerders net teen gevaar te waarsku. Opvoeders moet verseker dat sovêr moontlik daar geen skade gely word nie.
Wat beteken dit om aanspreeklik te wees?
Aanspreeklikheid in die onderwysomgewing berus op die volgende partye:
- Die individuele opvoeder;
- Die bestuur van die skool; en
- Die skool / regering as werkgewer.
Hierdie partye kan aanspreeklik gehou word om te vergoed vir skade wat ‘n leerder gely het.
Wat is die 4 vereistes vir deliktuele aanspreeklikheid?
1. Handeling
Die handeling (daad/aksie) moet ‘n willekeurige aksie en ‘n menslike handeling wees, met ander woorde ‘n hond wat by die skool inhardloop en ‘n leerder byt, tel nie as ‘n menslike handeling nie. ‘n Willekeurige handeling is iets wat binne die persoon se beheer is met ander woorde indien ‘n opvoeder sou flou word en ‘n leerder in die proses beseer word, is dit ‘n onwillekeurige handeling.
2. Skuld
Skuld word gesien as iets wat met opset gedoen word of wanneer iemand nalatig was.
3. Skade
Skade verwys onder andere na die volgende:
- Skade aan ‘n voorwerp.
- Mediese skade in die geval waar mediese uitgawes aangegaan moet word.
- Persoonlike skade wat na iets persoonlik verwys soos ‘n leerder se liggaam of goeie naam.
4. Kousaliteit/oorsaaklikheid
Daar moet ‘n kousale verband bestaan tussen die onregmatige handeling en die nadeel of skade wat ingetree het. (Die handeling/besluit moes die direkte oorsaak van die skade gewees het).
Wat sȇ die wet?
Volgens Gemenereg delegeer ouers hul wetlike verpligting van sorgsaamheid met betrekking tot hul kinders aan die opvoeder.
Die wet stipuleer dat ‘n opvoeder uit die staanspoor uit moet weet dat kinders:
- soms impulsief en irrasioneel optree;
- tot ‘n sekere mate nie so bewus is van gevaar soos ‘n volwassene nie; en
- nie in verhouding tot die aard van die gevaar optree nie.
Wat is die redelike persoon toets?
Die vraag word afgevra of die opvoeder die skade kon voorsien het en indien dit redelikerwys voorsienbaar was, het hy/sy redelike maatreëls getref wat die skade kon verhoed het?
Wat is nalatigheid?
Nalatigheid kan aangedui word deur vasgestelde regsvrae:
- Kon die opvoeder voorsien dat sy/haar optrede of die gebrek aan optrede skade/besering tot gevolg sou hê?
- Kon die opvoeder oor die vaardigheid en kennis beskik wat hom/haar in staat sou stel om die besering/skade te voorsien?
- Kon die opvoeder redelike stappe geneem het om so ‘n voorval te vermy?
- Kon die opvoeder reëlings getref het om seker te maak dat die stappe uitgevoer word?
- Het die opvoeder die stappe uitgevoer?
Watter aktiwiteite word beskou as skoolaktiwiteite?
Alle aktiwiteite wat leerders op die skoolterrein uitoefen sonder dat die leerder se ouers teenwoordig is, word beskou as ‘n skoolaktiwiteit. Dit sluit die normale skool- en buitemuurse aktiwiteite in sowel as spesiale geleenthede/aktiwiteite soos waterkas-kenades, modeparades, talentkompetisies ens.
In watter ander omstandighede is die skool / onderwyser steeds aanspreeklik?
- Die oomblik wanneer die skool soggens oopgesluit word en die leerders die terrein betree is die skool/opvoeder aanspreeklik.
- Na afloop van buitemuurse aktiwiteite is die opvoeder / skool steeds aanspreeklik tot die ouers die leerder kom afhaal - al is die ouers laat. Neem die redelike-mens toets in ag – sal ‘n redelike mens ‘n leerder alleen by ‘n skoolhek laat?
- Indien ‘n opvoeder ‘n leerder op die terrein sien wat na skoolure onverantwoordelik optree, bly die skool / opvoeder aanspreeklik.
- Indien leerders tydens ‘n pouse in ‘n opvoeder se klas moet wees, moet daar toesig van ‘n personeellid wees.
- Opvoeders is steeds aanspreeklik vir skoolaktiwiteite wat nie op die skoolterrein plaasvind nie, soos kampe en uitstappies.
- Opvoeders kan aanspreeklik gehou word indien hulle leerders vervoer vanaf en na sportbyeenkomste met hulle eie motors met of sonder die toestemming van die ouers.
Wat kan `n opvoeder/skool doen om hulself te beskerm wanneer daar `n besering op die terrein is?
- Maak seker daar is beleid in plek wat gevolg moet word wanneer ‘n leerder ‘n besering opdoen.
- Die opvoeder wat teenwoordig was tydens die besering, moet die besering aanmeld by die registeronderwyser en betrokke bestuurslede en so gou moontlik ‘n verslag saamstel van die gebeure. Die ouers moet ingelig word van die besering.
- Indien dit ‘n ernstige besering is en die ouers nie bereikbaar is nie moet die hoof die mediese behandeling by ‘n huisdokter of die ongevalle afdeling van ‘n hospitaal reël.
- Indien daar ‘n ooggetuie was, moet ‘n verslag van die ooggetuie saam met die opvoeder se verslag ingedien word.
- Hierdie verslae moet deur die skoolhoof by die distrikskantoor ingedien word en op rekord geplaas word.
- Daar moet ook verseker word dat daar aangewese personeel by die skool is wat noodhulp kan toepas en hul moet te alle tye beskikbaar wees.
- Die skool moet ook volledige rekords hê van leerders se mediese geskiedenis om ingeligte besluite te neem, veral ten opsigte van toediening van medikasie of behandeling.
INJURIES ON SCHOOL PREMISES AND LIABILITY
The professional educator's calling requires a high degree of caring for learners. An educator may be held liable if a learner sustains an injury on the school premises or suffers emotional damage that could have been avoided.
The following are aspects that must be noted in order to understand the broader context regarding injuries on school premises.
What does diligens paterfamilias include?
The role of the educator is to act with diligens paterfamilias. This means that the educator must act like a parent in a normal household with regard to attention and care.
What does in loco parentis include?
In loco parentis means "in the place of the parent". This implies that the school and educator take the place of the parent during school activities in order to fulfil certain functions. This includes the following:
- The right to maintain authority;
- The obligation to exercise careful supervision over the learners; and
- The obligation to ensure the safety of learners.
What does duty to care include?
The educator's duty to care includes the duty to protect the learner from physical injury, as well as emotional harm.
A school's duty to care extends beyond just warning learners about danger. Educators must ensure that, as far as possible, no harm is done.
What does it mean to be accountable?
Accountability in the educational environment rests on the following parties:
- The individual educator;
- The management of the school; and
- The school / government as employer.
These parties can be held liable to compensate for damages suffered by a learner.
What are the 4 requirements for delictual liability?
1. Action
The act (deed/action) must be a voluntary action and a human act, i.e., the action of a dog that runs into the school property and bites a learner is not considered as a human act. A voluntary act is something that is within the person's control. If an educator faints and a learner is injured in the process, this is an involuntary act.
2. Guilt
Guilt is seen as something done on purpose or when someone was negligent.
3. Damage
Damage refers, among other things, to the following:
- Damage to an object.
- Medical damages in the case where medical expenses have to be incurred.
- Personal damage that refers to something personal such as a learner's body or good name.
4. Causality
There must be a causal connection between the unlawful act and the disadvantage or damage that occurred. (The act/decision must have been the direct cause of the damage).
What does the law say?
According to Common Law, parents delegate their legal duty of care in relation to their children, to the educator.
The law stipulates that an educator must know from the outset that children:
- sometimes act impulsively and irrationally;
- to a certain extent are not as aware of danger as an adult is; and
- do not act in proportion to the nature of the danger.
What is the reasonable person test?
The question is asked whether the educator could have foreseen the damage; and, if it was reasonably foreseeable, did he/she take reasonable measures that could have prevented the damage?
What is negligence?
Negligence can be indicated by fixed questions of the law:
- Could the educator have foreseen that his/her actions or lack of action would result in damage/injury?
- Could the educator have had the skills and knowledge that would enable him/her to foresee the injury/damage?
- Could the educator have taken reasonable steps to avoid such an incident?
- Could the educator have made arrangements to ensure that the steps were carried out?
- Did the educator carry out the steps?
Which activities are considered school activities?
All activities participated in by learners on the school premises without the learner's parents being present are considered a school activity. This includes the normal school and extra-curricular activities as well as special events/activities such as water fun activities, fashion parades, talent competitions etc.
In what other circumstances is the school / educator still liable?
- Once the school is unlocked in the morning and the learners enter the premises, the school / educator is liable.
- After extra-curricular activities, the educator / school is still liable until the parents collect the learner - even if the parents are late. (Take into account the reasonable person test – would a reasonable person leave a learner alone at a school gate)?
- If an educator sees a learner on the premises who behaves irresponsibly after school hours, the school / educator remains liable.
- If learners must be in an educator's class during a break, there must be supervision by a member of staff.
- Educators are still liable for school activities that do not take place on the school premises such as camps and excursions.
- Educators may be held liable if they transport learners to and from sporting events in their own vehicle with or without the consent of the parents.
What can an educator/school do to protect themselves when there is an injury on-site?
- Make sure there is a policy in place that must be followed when a learner sustains an injury.
- The educator who was present at the time of the injury must report the injury to the register teacher and relevant school management team. Further a report of the events must be compiled as soon as possible. The parents must also be informed of the injury.
- If it is a serious injury, and the parents cannot be reached, the principal must arrange medical treatment by a general practitioner or the casualty section at a hospital.
- If there was an eyewitness, a report from the eyewitness must be submitted together with the educator's report.
- These reports must be submitted by the principal to the district office and placed on record.
- Ensure that there are designated staff at the school who are able to apply first-aid and they must be available at all times.
- The school must also keep complete records of learners' medical history in order to make informed decisions, especially regarding the administration of medication or treatment.
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