Gauteng’s Education MEC Lebogang Maile warns that violence and drug-related problems in schools are increasing, citing concerns over safety in the province’s education system. In a statement, Maile highlights what she describes as alarming patterns of incidents such as violence and vandalism, along with substance abuse within school environments. The MEC says the scale of these problems requires urgent attention and coordinated action beyond the education department alone. Emphasising the role of communities, she calls for stronger involvement from parents, local stakeholders and other partners to help create safer learning spaces. The warning focuses on the need to address both harmful conduct among learners and damage to school property, while also tackling the presence and impact of drugs. Overall, the message from the provincial education leadership is that measures to improve school safety must be implemented quickly, with support from the broader community, to reduce incidents and protect learners and educators.