The journey to education is not an easy one for many children in the Eastern Cape. For many, that road is filled with obstacles that hinder their ability to learn.
Take schools such as Zameka Senior Secondary School in Tyutyu village, Bhisho.
Its severely overcrowded classrooms mean pupils rush to occupy the limited seats available. Those who don’t make it have to listen through windows or at the door.
At Fezeka Primary School in Peddie, access to clean, running water is a challenge.
Children at 300 schools in the province still use unsafe pit toilets. Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube said last week the department hoped to halve this number by the end of the financial year.
At Ntabankulu Primary School, children as young as five must walk 7km to school and the same distance home in the afternoon because the bad state of the road makes it difficult for scholar transport vehicles to operate.
Left with no alternative, children set off at 5am. For some, the walk can take up to two hours.
On rainy days many stay home. On good days the youngest pupils are released at 12.30pm but they still have to wait for the older pupils, who finish at 3pm, before they can walk home.
In a desperate attempt to force the government’s hand, parents pulled their children from school last week and said they would remain home until the issue was resolved.
Yet again parents are forced to resort to drastic measures after months of requests for help have fallen on deaf ears.
It’s more than just about children walking to and from school; it’s a safety concern.
In 2023, the Daily Dispatch accompanied a group of pupils from the villages of Weltina, Kampini and Xesi on their 10km walk to school.
At the time, parents pleaded for scholar transport to be provided, fearing their children could fall victim to criminals or were at risk of being knocked down by vehicles on the R72.
A photographer and a journalist joined them on the journey early one Tuesday morning and experienced first-hand the dangers parents feared.
The team was held up at gunpoint and their vehicle robbed of camera equipment, a laptop, cellphones and other personal belongings. Thankfully, no-one was harmed but the incident left emotional scars on the victims.
The road to education should not be this difficult for the children of this province. They should start the day ready to learn, not to endure challenges. Fix the roads, fix the scholar transport system, fix the schools.
The parents of Ntabankulu Primary School have already made the first move to protect their children. Now it is time for the departments of education and transport and the local municipality to do their part.
Daily Dispatch
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