The issue of insufficient scholar transport continues to impact rural areas in the Eastern Cape, with learners facing long, unsafe journeys, leading to missed classes and potential educational setbacks.
Students at Dalibhunga High School in Ngqeleni are among those grappling with this ongoing challenge. Despite the evident need for scholar transport, learners at the school claim they have never benefited from government services in this regard.
Many students come from underprivileged backgrounds, traveling considerable distances to attend school. Parents have expressed deep concerns about their children’s safety and academic future.
Nobukho Khanda, a member of the School Governing Body, highlights the struggle. “We have been to the department numerous times; they told us that our school Dalibhunga has scholar transport, but we do not see the scholar transport on the ground. There are many learners that travel long distances. We went to the department on the 15th, and to the school inspector, they told us that they will provide scholar transport in January.”
E Cape learners left to walk, hike as scholar transport providers allegedly not paid:
While some parents attempt to assist by providing transportation occasionally, it proves insufficient to meet the needs of the large number of learners requiring scholar transport.
Mfundiso Mkrokrelwa, a concerned parent says, “I transport most of the learners here, not just mine because of the distance. The school is at the center of this area. When I get a chance, I try to help because they get to school very late.”
The lack of reliable scholar transport raises worries among parents, with instances reported where students arriving late were turned away, negatively impacting their education.
Khanda says, “This worries me a lot because last Wednesday children that came late were told to go back home.
The provincial Department of Transport claims that Dalibhunga High School is not in its system, and attempts to obtain a comment from the Department of Education were unsuccessful.
Scholar transport safety under the spotlight
