Lack of transport causes Limpopo learners to miss school
Pupils have to travel more than 10km to schools, and when they arrive late, the kids are locked outside and are only allowed to enter school during break time
More than 70 pupils from Ga-Matlala in Dithamaga Village cannot attend classes at Kgahlanong Technical High School due to the unavailability of scholar transport.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News recently published a story about 400 school pupils who could not get to Manoke Secondary School due to similar challenges.
Speaking to the paper on Monday, resident Lefa Lekgeu said the Department of Education in Limpopo had not renewed its contract with the transporter.
“Pupils have to travel more than 10km to Kgahlanong, and when they arrive late, the kids are locked outside and are only allowed to enter school during break time.”
The parents are now concerned about the safety of the learners. Parents said hitch-hiking to and from the
school was not an option.
“Children are raped and abducted daily, while others are killed. It is dangerous to allow our kids to hike to school. Most of
the parents are unemployed.
“We are pleading with the department to sort out these challenges as the pupils are falling behind in their studies. We also ask it to engage the school management team at Kgahlanong to ask them to refrain fromlocking our kids outside when they are late,” added Lekgeu.
The Limpopo Department of Education’s spokesperson, Mike Maringa,said he has known that the areas have had
scholar transport challenges since the start of the term.
“It is also correct that the previous term [tender] elapsed and new service providers were appointed. Some of the routes do not have buses due to service providers who declined the offers for various reasons.
The routes will soon be advertised on a district level.”
