Cape Town - A number of primary schoolchildren from Rosedale in Pacaltsdorp, George has been left stranded without transport for pupils after the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) withdrew its subsidies earlier this month.
Parent Nombulelo Ntintelo said many were scrambling to make arrangements to get their children to school.
But the WCED said the application was not approved because the learners lived within 5km of their nearest schools, and that the walking distance between the furthest point in Rosedale to Pacaltsdorp Primary was about 4km.
Ntintelo said she was struggling to make ends meet with the added transport expenses for her children in Grade 1 and Grade 3.
“It’s painful for me because I cannot even buy anything for my children for school anymore. Everything I have now, I have to use for their transport. It’s almost Christmas and I don’t know how I will support them. I am pleading with the department to bring back the scholar transport before something bad happens, as some children now walk to school.
Many parents are unemployed and are unable to afford money to send their children to school. We were all dependent on this scholar transport,” she said.
Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (PBI) leader Virgill Gericke who has been engaging with the affected parents, said many of them were mainly dependent on grants to live.
“Apparently the parents received the news of the cancellation of the subsidy on the day the schools closed for the last quarter.
Parents are now running around to arrange lifts and transport for their kids.
“Parents were also told to send their kids to the nearest school. With regard to taking children to the nearest school, the kids have just started the last quarter of the school year.
Over and above that, the nearest school is already overcrowded. Many of the children are currently at home due to no transport service. Parents who do manage to get their children to school, are currently paying R500 for them,” said Gericke.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said an appeal on the matter has been made to the Provincial Minister for Education.
“We await the outcome of this appeal. The WCED provides transport to learners living in poor communities who live more than 5km from their nearest school, and where public transport is not available.
We transport over approximately 61000 learners on 585 learner transport routes across the Province. The WCED spends approximately R450 million a year to cover the costs of the transport,” said Hammond.
Provincial ANC education spokesperson Khalid Sayed said the issue may lead to high absenteeism and even dropouts.
“We will challenge this as the ANC and will make demands for immediate reinstating of these subsidies.
We have already started engagements with the affected communities and parents, we will be taking this up with the MEC and department,” he said.
Cape Times