Learners Stuck at Home Without School Transport in South Africa

Thousands of learners in Eastern Cape are stuck at home due to unavailability of transportation to schools.

Last year, Provincial transport spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, said 140,000 learners were in need of scholar transport but the department was only able to transport 125,000 on its budget, leaving 15,000 learners stranded.

Binqose said this year, the budget would be up to R694-million from R691-million. He said the department would only know how many learners would need transport during the course of the second school term.

School Governing Body chair, Joe Ndlebe, said in KwaNojoli, formerly known as Fort Beaufort, learners from Sakhululeka Senior Secondary School are behind in their studies because they cannot get to school.

READ ALSO: E-learning: Katsina, UNICEF Launch Free Platform Targets 10,000 Learners, Teachers

He added that 54 learners are on the waiting list for scholar transport with private scholar transport would cost each parent about R400 a month and most parents survived on social grants and could not afford that.

Council Speaker for the Sundays River Valley Municipality, Siseko Nodonti, who is also chairperson of the scholar transport committee, said about five schools have scholar transport problems in Addo.

He said at St Ignatious Primary, 373 learners had school transport but 107 did not and at Vusumzi Primary there are 42 learners who are transported and 54 are not.

Nodonti added that the department had promised to consider these learners in the new financial year.