• The Department of Basic Education has launched the Safe Schools App this week.
• The platform is currently being used to track and map the existence of illegal and dangerous pit tiolets at South African schools.
• Eventually the department will roll out the use of the app to track other important DBE projects.

Department of Basic Education (DBE) Minister Siviwe Gwarube has ushered in the launch of the “Safe Schools App,” a new platform geared towards highlighting schools across the country that have pit latrine toilets in the hopes of identifying which institutions need to replace them.

The department says the platform was created by Vodacom and is suited to tackling “one of the most urgent issues in our schools.” It was launched nationally on Monday and through an online portal, schools and private citizens in South Africa can rely which institutions have pit toilets in order to map out what the DBE calls a “scourge.”

It plans to eradicate all pit toilets by 31st March 2025. According to Amnesty International, there are 3 900 illegal pit toilets at South African schools. A report from GroundUp revealed that 66 000 learners in the country are still forced to use dangerous and unsanitary pit latrines. There are numerous examples of small children, some as young as four, drowning in faeces within these pit toilets.

The Safe Schools App provides real-time monitoring of the pit toilets situation, where a heatmap will show larger concentrations of pit toilets across the country, and gradually change as toilets are addressed.

“This feature ensures that government has access to real-time information about our efforts on the SAFE backlog. It also highlights areas requiring urgent attention, ensuring that indeed no child is left behind,” said DBE Minister Siviwe Gwarube in a speech at the launch of the app.

“This Safe Schools App empowers communities to report any remaining pit toilets in their areas, helping us to close these gaps and ensure that every school is accounted for.”

In the longer term, the department wants to roll out the use of the app to monitor the status of other importarnt department programmes including the National School Nutrition Programme, the rollout of infrastructure projects, and the delivery of learning and teaching materials.

“By integrating these functions, the app enhances our ability to manage resources effectively and respond swiftly to emerging challenges.”

“The launch of the Safe Schools App represents a significant step forward in our strategy to leverage technological partnerships to improve education outcomes in the country. In today’s world, technology is not just a tool but a necessity. It allows us to enhance accountability, optimize resource allocation, and improve efficiency across the education system,” said Gwarube.

“The Safe Schools App is a prime example of how technology can be harnessed to address societal challenges that seemed too big and too complex for us to resolve.”