Learning was brought to a standstill at Embekweni Primary School on Friday when angry parents locked in 28 teachers and locked out pupils in a protest over scholar transport.
They claimed that although the department had made provision for 304 children, there were 615 pupils from Grades R to 7 in need of transport.
The pupils are from Unit P, Gwiqi, Border Kanana, Khayelitsha and Msintsi.
On Friday, children as young as five were locked outside the school as protesters demanded transport for Grade 4 to 7 pupils excluded from the programme run by the department of transport.
Initially, parents locked teachers outside the premises just after 7am, refusing principal Phakamile Tyindi entry to the school.
Tyindi said he had to negotiate with the parents to allow him into the premises.
No response to questions were received from education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani.
Parent Zoleka Makala said they had been trying to resolve the matter since Monday following a parents’ meeting.
“There was a resolution that we must actually go to the district office to complain about the crisis because our children are at risk of being raped and have been robbed previously.
“When we got there, the officials said they were aware that 615 pupils from Embekweni were being transported and that is a lie.
“They shifted the blame and directed us to the transport department and that made us angry because we know transport gets the numbers from the education department,” Makala said.
Principal Tyindi said: “The foundation phase alone has 344 pupils while the department pays for 300 pupils only.
“We asked the drivers to accommodate more pupils and I know this is wrong as it leads to overloading, but we had no other option as the foundation phase pupils are really young and can not walk these long distances.”
Transport spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said the department’s records showed that only 284 pupils at Embekweni needed transport and that 11 operators had been contracted to ferry them.
“Six operators submitted their claims for the month of January.
“As per our records and database, pupil demand for Embekweni is 284, but we allocated for 304 pupils,” Kumbaca said. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Parents battle to get transport for pupils
They claimed that although the department had made provision for 304 children, there were 615 pupils from Grades R to 7 in need of transport.
The pupils are from Unit P, Gwiqi, Border Kanana, Khayelitsha and Msintsi.
On Friday, children as young as five were locked outside the school as protesters demanded transport for Grade 4 to 7 pupils excluded from the programme run by the department of transport.
Initially, parents locked teachers outside the premises just after 7am, refusing principal Phakamile Tyindi entry to the school.
Tyindi said he had to negotiate with the parents to allow him into the premises.
No response to questions were received from education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani.
Parent Zoleka Makala said they had been trying to resolve the matter since Monday following a parents’ meeting.
“There was a resolution that we must actually go to the district office to complain about the crisis because our children are at risk of being raped and have been robbed previously.
“When we got there, the officials said they were aware that 615 pupils from Embekweni were being transported and that is a lie.
“They shifted the blame and directed us to the transport department and that made us angry because we know transport gets the numbers from the education department,” Makala said.
Principal Tyindi said: “The foundation phase alone has 344 pupils while the department pays for 300 pupils only.
“We asked the drivers to accommodate more pupils and I know this is wrong as it leads to overloading, but we had no other option as the foundation phase pupils are really young and can not walk these long distances.”
Transport spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said the department’s records showed that only 284 pupils at Embekweni needed transport and that 11 operators had been contracted to ferry them.
“Six operators submitted their claims for the month of January.
“As per our records and database, pupil demand for Embekweni is 284, but we allocated for 304 pupils,” Kumbaca said. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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