Parliament raises concern about scholar transport in KZN

The portfolio committee on basic education has raised concerns about the lack of sufficient school transport to support the basic education system in KwaZulu-Natal, with more than 1,100 schools on the waiting list.

The concern comes after the committee concluded the first day of its weeklong oversight visit programme in the Zululand Educational District, northern KZN, where it visited various schools.

It said though it was aware of the provincial education department's financial challenges, the inability to provide transport is a “direct and painful exclusion” of pupils from the schooling opportunity, particularly pupils from the poorest of the poor families.

“We are concerned that 1,148 schools are on the waiting list for learner transport in the province at the budgeted cost of R1.8bn. While the cost implication is huge, the committee is of the view that further consideration should be made to make provision for pupils who have to walk over 3km to reach the school,” said committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba.