Safe schools in an emerging economy country : in pursuit of quality education provision : call for papers : special issue of South African Journal of Education Volume 34(4), November 2014

For the past ten years South African schools, as in other parts of especially the emerging economy world, have been criticized for not creating educational settings that are safe and provide quality education (Van Jaarsveld, Minnaar & Morrison, 2012). Criticism pertaining to unsafe and unsupportive schools that are not conducive to teaching and learning include: infrastructure issues (lack of water and sanitation, and lack of safety and security (Prinsloo, 2005); rights issues (violation of children's, and especially girl children's, rights (Masitsa, 2011); teaching and learning issues (underprepared teachers, teacher absenteeism, language of teaching and poor conditions for learning (Vogel, Seaberry, Barnes & Kelley, 2003); health and well-being issues (including poor health conditions in schools, disconnects with parents/caregivers, lack of hope and optimism among teachers and children, lack of social and emotional safety and gender based violence in schools, and failure to address unsafe/at-risk health practices that contribute to illness, teenage pregnancy and early drop-out (Vermeer & Tempelman, 2006); school-community issues (a lack of connectedness between schools and the communities in which they function (Fourie, 2003; Palmer, 2005 ); and governance and policy issues.