equal education learner transport policy

Equal Education members protested outside the KZN Education department demanding that it release its learner transport policy. Picture: Equal Education

Education activists demand release of learner transport policy now

Equal Education members protested outside the KZN Education department demanding that it release its learner transport policy.

equal education learner transport policy

Equal Education members protested outside the KZN Education department demanding that it release its learner transport policy. Picture: Equal Education

Equal Education activists protested outside the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZNDoE) in Pietermaritzburg to demand the release of the final KZN Learner Transport Policy

Equal Education (EE) learner members and post-school youth members held the protest to call out the KZNDoE for the lack of political-will shown by not adopting a final provincial learner transport policy, the advocacy group said in a statement.

EE and the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) won a court order in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in 2019, to get the KZNDoE to release the draft transport policy by 30 January 2020. After several delays, the draft policy was finally published for public comment in April 2020.

“Along with the EELC, we made a joint submission to the KZNDoE, in which we pointed out many serious shortcomings in the draft policy,” EE said.

“The final policy must be able to improve learners’ access to education. It is vital for enabling thorough data collection and planning, for budgeting, and for ensuring implementation. The policy must also make it possible to easily apply for safe, reliable government subsidised transport,” EE said.

EE said it had now been a year since the draft policy was published and on Thursday it was demanding that the KZNDoE publish a final version of the policy that fixes the flaws in the draft, including:

  • The draft policy does not explain the application process to follow. It should explain how and when to apply, where to collect and hand in application forms, whether applications can be made online, and to whom they must be submitted.
  • The draft policy lacks clear time frames. For example, it states that the officials in charge of learner transport must compile a list of all learners requiring transport in each district, without being specific about the time frame.
  • The division of roles and responsibilities between the KZN Department of Transport and the KZNDoE is unclear and confusing
  • While specifically accommodating learners with disabilities, it only makes provision for learners with disabilities who attend public special schools, and does not cater for learners with disabilities who attend public ordinary schools
  • The draft policy treats funding shortages as inevitable, and does not make an attempt to provide a long-term plan to get the necessary funding. 

“We will not stop applying pressure on the KZNDoE to publish the final learner transport policy until all learners in KZN are free from the burden of walking exhausting and dangerous routes to school,” EE said.