By: Zethu Gweva
Disgruntled parents continue to strike outside Mzonkeshe primary school at Nqonqweni, Nxarhuni due to lack of government scholar transport, the pupils have not yet commenced with their studies.
It is alleged that children who live far from their previous schools, Qwalasela and Thoboshana primary school were in 2018 moved to a nearby school, Mzonkeshe primary school by the department of education and left the school children stranded of transport.
The School governing body chairperson Makhi Fandreik said; Since January 2018, parents from Daniel village and the SGB have been fighting to get scholar transport for the children.
Pupils from Mzonkeshe primary school were moved to Qwalasela and Thoboshana primary school which is 24 km away from their homes and the department provided transport but were later moved back to Mzonkeshe primary school which 14km away from their homes and the department stopped providing transport.
¨ In terms of scholar transport school principals give the department of education the number of pupils who will utilise transport. In 2018 the department of education received 9645 children who were suppose to utilise transport, for the past three years the department of transport transported plus minus 13000 school pupils¨ said Fandreik.
One of the concerned parents Sindiswa Nomlenze said, they have been communicating with departments regarding scholar transport since 2018 without any proper response and that has lead to parents shutting down the school, no transport no school.
Education departmental officials went to the department of transport and they were told by the department to wait for two weeks.
Nomlenze said the department of education advised the parents to transfer the children from Qwalasela to Mzonkeshe primary school because of the distance, but now there’s no transport.
The department of transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said that the department acknowledge the challenges around scholar transport and together with the department of education they will look into to the issue during the weekend, so that by the beginning of next week the matter will be resolved.
The unavailability of transport has had a negative impact on the parents financially and has put the children’s lives at risk.
¨Our children get chased at bushes and end up not wanting to go to schools because of fear, they get sick and dehydrated because of the long distance¨ said Nomlenze.
The department of education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said that the department is aware of the issue but they are waiting for the East London regional office response regarding the matter.