WATCH | Pupils withdrawn from class due to lack of scholar transport

Pupils from a Ntabankulu school boycotted classes for the whole of last week in a desperate bid to get scholar transport.

Every day, children as young as five wake up at 5am to prepare for a two-hour walk to school.

Nomzamo Mahlathini, the mother of a five-year-old grade R pupil at Ndile Senior Primary School, said her children and more than 100 others walked more than 7km each way every day.

The decision to keep children home for five days was taken at a parents’ meeting.

The excitement of starting a new school was short-lived for her son who refused go to school on the third day.

“I forced him to return, but every day he comes back as tired as a dog.”

She said their attempts to resolve the matter had fallen on deaf ears.

“We went to the school principal to inquire why our children were no longer being ferried to school.

“The principal told us the driver of the scholar transport said he had to stop because of the state of the road.”

Mahlathini said the road was not safe for their children either.

“The other decision taken at the meeting was that the children would return to school only once they had received a positive response.”

She said they understood the risk they took by removing their children from school, but the children’s safety was more important.

Another parent, Monalisa Ngongomane, mother of an eight-year-old grade 3 pupil, said they wished the government would speed up the process of addressing their grievances.

“We do want our children to get education … but at what cost?

“We hear stories of children who are raped or stolen … we don’t want that to happen to our children.”

Ngongomane said she had to buy at least four pairs of shoes a year for her child.

“It would be better if the younger children — those in grades R, 1 and 2 — were excused the long walk.

“If a teacher could come to our village instead of the children going there, it would be better.”

On wet days, pupils did not go to school at all.

Thembakazi Mvulelwa, whose five-year-old is also in grade R, said she had dropped out in sub B (now grade 2) because of the long walk to the same school.

“I had to drop out. I could not take it anymore — but I don’t wish the same thing for my child.”

Mvulelwa said though the lower grades were released at 12.30pm, they had to wait for older pupils, who finished at 3pm, before they could head home.

“No five- or six-year-olds can walk that distance alone, so they end up arriving home at 5pm.”

The department of education distanced itself from the matter, saying scholar transport was the responsibility of the provincial transport department.

Spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said they would check with the transport department to see if it was aware of the matter.

“We will also liaise with them for a common approach.

“And we will jointly approach the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs for its help, as municipalities have jurisdiction over local and district road infrastructure.”

He said an inter-governmental approach remained key to solving problems such as these.

Transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose said they were aware of the problem and were looking into it.

“The road belongs to the municipality, but it affects other departments: education in terms of learning and teaching, and transport in terms of executing our mandate of scholar transport.

“We also need engagement with the municipality to speed up the repair of the road.”

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