South African schoolgirls of every race and economic group daily encounter sexual violence and harassment, by male classmates and even teachers, that impedes their access to education. The South African government has acknowledged the problem's severity, but has been slow in implementing effective responses and weak in enforcing existing protections. To ensure a more effective response to sexual violence against girls in schools, this report recommends that the National Department of Education should adopt a National Plan of Action on Sexual Violence and Harassment in Schools. The plan should include, at a minimum: guidelines to schools detailing the appropriate responses to claims of sexual violence; procedures governing consequences for perpetrators; funding for counseling and medical services; a code of conduct for teachers and pupils; compulsory education and training for pupils, teachers, and principals; a director in every provincial education department who is responsible for implementing policy on gender-based violence in schools; and mechanisms to hold schools accountable for failure to adequately respond to allegations of sexual violence. Notes, appendixes