PARENTS, mostly farm and factory workers, have expressed joy and relief following an appeal ruling that reinstated scholar transport for pupils of Morrisdale Primary School and Ceres Primary School in the Witzenberg municipality.
This comes after hundreds of children had to walk close to five kilometres to school each day and back because their homes fell 200m short of qualifying for the free transport provided by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
The decision led to enraged parents and activists staging a sit-in at the Morrisdale Primary School ahead of schools reopening last month.
Some parents had received letters in August from the department informing them that their children no longer qualified for scholar transport, while other children were allegedly put off by bus drivers.
The outcome of the appeal to Education MEC, David Maynier was communicated on Friday.
Approached for comment, Maynier said: “I have upheld the learner transport appeal for learners from Vredebes, who had applied for learner transport and not had their applications approved. These are unique circumstances, in that primary school learners have to walk to school while secondary school learners from the same community are transported (a) on an existing route, (b) passing the primary school applicants’ schools, and (c) on buses with open seats. I appreciate the support that Mayor Trevor Abrahams has shown for our learners, and for the work he has done to secure alternative transport for learners.”
Witzenberg Justice Coalition activist Naomi Betana said parents were very happy with the outcome.
“It has been a very stressful period since last August, parents were struggling and these parents are mostly farm and factory workers,” Betana said.
The GOOD party said they were grateful that “common sense finally prevailed”.
GOOD raised the issue in the Western Cape Legislature in November last year when parents and activists reached out for assistance.
“The GOOD Party welcomes the appeal ruling that reinstates scholar transport for pupils of Morrisdale Primary School and Ceres Primary School in the Witzenberg Municipality. This was a self-made problem made by the Western Education Department when they suddenly withdrew the service. Cancelling it was not only irrational, but it perpetuated inequality, creating barriers to education for working-class families and compromising the safety of young learners. No South African children, regardless of class, culture or creed, should be forced to undertake hazardous journeys to get to and from school.
“The rule about having to live at least five kilometres from school to qualify for free transport is arbitrary and too rigidly applied. Common sense and leadership should have prevailed right from the start,” GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron said.
Cape Times