Parents from Slovo Park and Payneville returned to the Department of Education at the Gauteng East district in Springs on February 5 regarding the lack of scholar buses for their children.

Parents and learners had visited the district on Tuesday because they were not informed that there would be no transport for the children. A few parents met with district officials and were told they would be updated that same day.

According to the parents, the district gave no feedback on the response to the buses of the matric learners orfrom the Gauteng Education MEC.

District director Somikazi Chabalala told parents on February 5 that she had received an email from head office, stating that the bus company handed over a memorandum of grievances.

In the email, the company said it had not received payment from the department, and they want the Gauteng Road and Transport Department to stop fining drivers and impounding the buses. It gave the department until Friday (February 6) to pay them.

Chabalala said there is nothing they can do as a department in terms of the fines and impoundments.

“After the payment is made by our department, we are unsure when the buses will start operating. The roads department said they would not stop fining drivers with no documents and impounding unroadworthy buses.

“The department is trying to tighten where there were gaps that compromised the lives of the children,” Chabalala told the parents.

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She responded to children missing out on schoolwork during this time, saying she had met with principals and school governing bodies across the district at the start of the year and that schools would end their day after 15:00.

“There will be a catch-up programme for the learners. No child will be left behind because they were not attending school. We will accommodate all our learners,” said the director.

In the meantime, Chabalala will ask schools with transport to help them take matric learners to their schools.

Chabalala also addressed the matter of the area not having a high school, telling parents that for three years, they have searched for a site that will accommodate learners from the two areas.

“At this point, I plead with parents to help us look for a site where we can build a school. I think it would be better if you helped us because you are more familiar with the area than we are.

“If there is a school in the area, it would limit transport issues like the ones the learners currently face,” said Chabalala.

Community activist Refilwe Pikiso told the publication that they had no choice but to accept the situation.

“We will wait for the update from the department regarding the payment, and if the buses don’t return, we will take the protest to the department of roads,” said Pikiso.

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