The Gauteng Departments of Community Safety and Education are urging parents, guardians, and caregivers to prioritise children’s safety during the current school holidays.

With public schools having closed on June 26 and set to reopen on July 21, young people are spending more time outdoors, travelling, visiting friends, and taking part in recreational activities.

While the holidays offer a welcome break from studies and a chance to spend quality time with family, officials warn that children can also become highly vulnerable during this period.

Parents are being asked to remain vigilant and take practical steps to protect their children, which include teaching them about road safety and the crucial importance of using designated pedestrian crossings.

Alongside families, the wider community is being called upon to play an active role in keeping youngsters safe. The departments emphasised that the safety of Gauteng’s children is a shared responsibility.

“We remain of the firm belief that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and, accordingly, the safety of all Gauteng’s children is the responsibility of all members of the community – from parents, teachers, police officers, street vendors to community patrollers, to mention a few.”

Residents are urged to report any suspicious activities, cases of child abuse, neglect, exploitation, or missing children to their nearest police station. In closing, both departments wished all learners, educators, and parents a safe and enjoyable winter school holiday.