NN 07/2023 2024/02/13

BESERINGS OP DIE SKOOLTERREIN EN INJURIES ON SCHOOL PREMISES AND

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.
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.

Die onderstaande is aspekte waarvan kennis geneem The following are aspects that must be noted in order
moet word om die breër konteks te verstaan met to understand the broader context regarding injuries
betrekking tot beserings op die skoolterrein. on school premises.

Wat behels diligens paterfamilias? What does diligens paterfamilias include?

Die rol van die opvoeder is om met diligens The role of the educator is to act with diligens
paterfamilias op te tree. Dit beteken dat die opvoeder paterfamilias. This means that the educator must act
soos ‘n ouer in ‘n normale huishouding moet optree like a parent in a normal household with regard to
met betrekking tot aandag en sorgsaamheid. attention and care.

Wat behels in loco parentis? What does in loco parentis include?

In loco parentis beteken “in die plek van die ouer”. Dit In loco parentis means "in the place of the parent".
impliseer dat die skool en opvoeder gedurende This implies that the school and educator take the
skoolaktiwiteite in die plek van die ouer staan ten place of the parent during school activities in order to
einde sekere funksies te vervul. Dit sluit die fulfil certain functions. This includes the following:
onderstaande in: • The right to maintain authority;
• Die reg om gesag te handhaaf; • The obligation to exercise careful supervision over
• Die verpligting om sorgsame toesighouding oor the learners; and
die leerders uit te oefen; en • The obligation to ensure the safety of learners.
• Die verpligting om na die veiligheid van leerders
om te sien. What does duty to care include?
The educator's duty to care includes the duty to
Wat behels sorgsaamheidsplig? protect the learner from physical injury, as well as
Die opvoeder se sorgsaamheidsplig sluit die plig in om emotional harm.
die leerder te beskerm teen fisiese beserings, asook
emosionele benadeling. A school's duty to care extends beyond just warning
learners about danger. Educators must ensure that, as
Die sorgsaamheidsplig van ‘n skool strek verder as om far as possible, no harm is done.
leerders net teen gevaar te waarsku. Opvoeders moet
verseker dat sovêr moontlik daar geen skade gely What does it mean to be accountable?
word nie. Accountability in the educational environment rests
on the following parties:
Wat beteken dit om aanspreeklik te wees? • The individual educator;
Aanspreeklikheid in die onderwysomgewing berus op • The management of the school; and
die volgende partye: • The school / government as employer.
• Die individuele opvoeder;
• Die bestuur van die skool; en These parties can be held liable to compensate for
• Die skool / regering as werkgewer. damages suffered by a learner.

Hierdie partye kan aanspreeklik gehou word om te

vergoed vir skade wat ‘n leerder gely het.
Wat is die 4 vereistes vir deliktuele aanspreeklikheid? What are the 4 requirements for delictual liability?
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.
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. 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).
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).

Wat sȇ die wet? What does the law say?

Volgens Gemenereg delegeer ouers hul wetlike According to Common Law, parents delegate their
verpligting van sorgsaamheid met betrekking tot hul legal duty of care in relation to their children, to the
kinders aan die opvoeder. educator.

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.
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.

Wat is die redelike persoon toets? What is the reasonable person test?
Die vraag word afgevra of die opvoeder die skade kon The question is asked whether the educator could
voorsien het en indien dit redelikerwys voorsienbaar have foreseen the damage; and, if it was reasonably
was, het hy/sy redelike maatreëls getref wat die skade foreseeable, did he/she take reasonable measures
kon verhoed het? that could have prevented the damage?

Wat is nalatigheid? What is negligence?

Nalatigheid kan aangedui word deur vasgestelde Negligence can be indicated by fixed questions of the
regsvrae: law:
• Kon die opvoeder voorsien dat sy/haar optrede of • Could the educator have foreseen that his/her
die gebrek aan optrede skade/besering tot gevolg actions or lack of action would result in
sou hê? damage/injury?
• Kon die opvoeder oor die vaardigheid en kennis • Could the educator have had the skills and
beskik wat hom/haar in staat sou stel om die knowledge that would enable him/her to
besering/skade te voorsien? foresee the injury/damage?
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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.