The Gauteng Education Department has called on teachers and parents to create a safer environment for learners to open up about challenges they face.
This follows an incident where three siblings from Evaton Primary School in Sebokeng died from suspected food poisoning on Monday after allegedly eating at home.
They were declared dead at a local clinic. In a separate incident, two Grade 8 learners from Tsakane Secondary School in Ekurhuleni, allegedly ate rat poison on the school premises.
One died and the other is still fighting for her life in hospital.
We encourage learners to reach out to professionals if there is something haunting them. We have a partnership with SADAG, partnership with child line, they need to reach out. Yesterday, SADAG started a process to provide support to all Grade 12 learners that are preparing for the prelim (preliminary exams) that we are starting next week on how to cope, stress levels and also parents on how we need to support our children when they are going to be busy with their examination, says the Departments spokesperson Steve Mabona.
