Durban — The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in KwaZulu-Natal has called on KZN MEC for Education Mbali Frazer to provide clear time-frames on when schools in uMkhanyakude District will be provided with scholar transport.
The department, under the former MEC for Education Kwazi Mshengu, stated that 143 schools in the district were without transport.
In Harry Gwala District, a further 16 schools – including both primary and high schools – had been applying for pupils’ transport since its inception in 2012.
The response followed a parliamentary question submitted by the IFP’s KZN provincial spokesperson for Education, Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa, to the department.
In a response from the department, budgetary constraints were cited as a reason for the failure to provide pupils with transport in the uMkhanyakude and Harry Gwala districts.
“These schools would be considered for pupils when the Provincial Treasury is able to allocate enough budget,” read the response.
Madlopha-Mthethwa said they were concerned about the failure of the KZN Department of Education to provide pupils with transport.
She said the party was interested in finding out how Frazer was intending to address the department’s budget constraints.
“The allocation of R459.1million for the 2022/23 financial year towards scholar transport by the Department of Transport is welcomed, as well as the increase in the number of schools that will benefit, from 363 to 397. (However,) we are concerned about schools in the uMkhanyakude and Harry Gwala districts. Scholar transport is a necessary and integral part of the right to basic education, and pupils who cannot get transport suffer – particularly those in rural South Africa. It is inexcusable that since 2012, schools in uMkhanyakude have been applying for scholar transport without success,” said Madlopha-Mthethwa.
She further said the department couldn’t blame the lack of funds as it hadn’t tried to address the issue for the past 10 years, and also hadn’t engaged with National Treasury.
“Many pupils arrive at school exhausted after their long walk, and then struggle to concentrate or stay awake in class. A lack of scholar transport contributes to late-coming, absenteeism, and learners dropping out of school,” she said.
“Pupils must often contend with dangerous terrain and inclement weather. In some cases, learners walk more than 20km a day. (This is) a serious threat to their right of access to education, health, safety and dignity.”
Madlopha-Mthethwa said permanent solutions should be found, especially considering that many schools in KZN were in rural areas and most pupils came from impoverished families.
The IFP was pursuing the matter by requesting a debate on the lack of scholar transport in KZN, she said.
Daily News