Advice for Young Learners

Safety

Cape Town is a cosmopolitan city and on the whole generally safe. However, as with any major city, students should observe certain safety procedures, such as not travelling alone at night and to keep all valuables out of sight. Students are given full information on safety during their first day at centre.

Laws of the country

• Only adults aged 18 or over are allowed to drink alcohol.
• Only students aged 16 or over are allowed to smoke and purchase cigarettes.
• Students are not allowed to carry any type of weapon (e.g. a knife)
• Theft or Shoplifting is regarded as a serious offence.
• It is illegal to bring any alcohol beverages on to any licensed place such as the school residences, school and sport centre.

All of these are offences for which the students can be arrested, and there is a strong possibility that the police may send students home to their country if they commit any crime.

School Rules

• Students under the age of 18 are forbidden to enter amusement arcades.
• We expect students to behave well at all times.
• Students must always carry their card with them. If they lose it, we will of course provide a new card – but there will be an administration cost.
• Students always need to inform their host family where they are going and what time they will return.

Advice to be given to students

• Do not walk alone in the evenings, only walk in pairs or groups.
• If you have a problem with the school, a teacher, host family or excursion, please talk to your Activity Leader / Welfare Assistant.
• If something happens to you (e.g. theft, illness, accident, etc.), please tell your host family and the school as soon as possible.
• Passports, airline tickets, travellers cheques and large amounts of money should always be kept at home, locked in a suitcase or looked after by the student’s host family or foreign group leader.
• If damage is caused at the school or at the host family, you will have to pay for the costs of repair.