THE Western Cape Department of Education's (WCED) alleged failure to provide scholar transport to hundreds of children in the Witzenberg municipal area has led to enraged parents and activists staging a sit-in at the Morrisdale Primary School ahead of schools reopening today.
Some parents had received letters in August from the department informing them that their children no longer qualified for scholar transport, while other children were allegedly put off by bus drivers.
This largely impacted children living in Vredebes, Ceres and Tulbagh, according to the Witzenberg Justice Coalition (WJC).
There were 61 learners attending Morrisdale Primary, 30 attending Ceres Primary, 62 attending Wanganella Primary, 95 attending Twee Ge-Jonge Gesellen NG Kerk Primary, 90 learners from Mounte Rouge Primary and 91 learners from Drostdy Primary who had been transported from Vrededes and Tulbagh to these respective schools.
Concerned parent Yolandi van Wyk was very worried about how her children aged 8 and 12 in grade 3 and 7, would get to school today.
“The bus driver put the children off the bus, the first time in August. Parents then got together and approached the school. Then the school said that those children are not allowed to drive, because there wasn't budget for the primary school children because they don't qualify according to the 5km rule.
“How are the children going to school tomorrow? It’s very dangerous, they have to walk very far on the highway. The crime is increasing there, there are high bushes, it’s a very big risk,” Van Wyk said.
In Vredebes, a RDP housing development built in 2019 for people that had been on the waiting list for many years, the community were promised a school and a clinic but “until today there is still nothing”, said WJC activist Naomi Betana.
“Since then the children were attending Ceres Primary and Morrisdale Primary and transport was provided so everything was fine until last year August. We wrote to the department, they told us the children were travelling in the buses illegally. It was brought up in the legislature, so in December the directors came. They rather suggested walking buses. We ask how can a walking bus be possible on a national road plus in temperatures of 38 to 39 degrees, in winter we have very heavy rainfall. The closest school is overcrowded and parents cannot afford private transport. They are making reference to a 5km policy which we feel needs to be reviewed. Over 1km, empty buses in some cases even pass children.”
Betana said an appeal had been made by Equal Education to Education MEC, David Maynier on behalf of the parents from Vredebes and they were still awaiting an outcome.
They were also concerned that the impact of these transport issues could result in high absenteeism, or much worse including school drop outs and car accidents.
GOOD party secretary-general, Brett Herron who last year brought the issue up in the Provincial Legislature, said the children don’t just walk to school.
“They risk life and limb, navigating ganglands and crossing highways.
“The obvious solution to facilitate access to education for children from the poorest communities in Ceres and Tulbagh is for the department to continue providing school transport – as it did before the decision late last year to suddenly withdraw the service. Half-empty school buses don’t stop for Ceres primary school pupils, who must trek five kilometres to school each day – and back – because their homes are 200m short of qualifying for free transport laid on by the Western Cape Education Department.”
Herron said cancelling the service perpetuates inequality, creating barriers to education for working-class families and compromising the safety of young learners.
“No South African children, regardless of class, culture or creed, should be forced to undertake hazardous journeys to get to and from school. The injustice is compounded by the fact that there are unoccupied seats on buses within easy reach.”
WCED spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond said: “The route is still operational, with approximately 250 learners receiving transportation as they were approved in terms of our transport policy. There has been misinformation regarding the transportation of learners to various schools in Witzenberg. The WCED has not stopped learner transport in the area. Bus routes will continue for learners that qualify for learner transport and have had their applications for transport approved.
“The applications for learners who do not qualify according to our provincial policy were not approved, because they live closer to the school. This policy is applied across the province and in other provinces. The application of 48 learners from Vredebes to Morrisdale Primary was not approved due to the distance between their homes and the school (which) is less than 5 kilometres. The furthest distance was between 3,7 and 4 kilometres from the school.
“The Learner Transport policy of the WCED, and most other provinces, provides for the transportation of learners in rural areas that live 5 or more kilometres from their nearest schools.”
She said the WCED has engaged with the principal to advise with regards to the application for travel subsidies. She confirmed that they have also suggested that the community should establish structures like walking buses to assist learners who were within walking distance from the school.
“This has been successfully implemented in other areas.”
Cape Times