Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi on Tuesday said they would be increasing security at schools in the province during the vacation period.
Lesufi said schools were prone to vandalism and break-ins during the festive season. He called on community members to do their part to help the department protect schools and infrastructure.
Since the start of this year, more than 250 schools were affected by theft and vandalism with damage exceeding over R120 million. The MEC said the money used to do repairs could be used to improve the quality of education for pupils.
Lesufi said this could not continue.
“During school holidays, I’m saddened that our schools get vandalised and broken into and we have come up with measures to deal with this,” he said.
The MEC said they would work with police to protect schools.