The Eastern Cape Education Department is facing another court challenge.
This, time from an East London father, who wants the Department to stick to its obligation to provide scholar transport for learners at some schools in Mdantsane.
Bathini Dyanti is the chairperson of the Tripartite Steering Committee, a group representing three schools in Mdantsane and the School Governing Body of Masivu-yiswe Secondary School in Fort Beaufort.
He told Algoa FM News that his three children who attend SK Mahlangu Senior Secondary School in Mdantsane, spend four hours a day walking to and from school.
Dyanti says his and other children walk in groups after his daugther was mugged two years ago.
He says the court application, which will be argued in the Grahamstown High Court by the Legal Resource Centre in June, seeks to secure scholar transport for 183 learners.
"The State provide teachers, learning materials and safe infrastructure, before any of that can be enjoyed by the learners they must be at school and to be included. It is the duty of the Department to provide safe transport for the learners" he said.
According to a statement, "a major cause of the failure to provide transport to all deserving learners in the province is the Department of Transport and the Department of Education’s failure to budget adequately and/or manage the programme."
"The programme is also non-responsive and poorly administered; there have been allegations of corruption and tender disputes and educators have, at times, been utilised as service providers. There has been also been an inconsistent application of the policy, resulting in some learners who do not qualify being transported and thousands of learners who do qualify missing out."
The application seeks to address these ongoing problems and ensure that Eastern Cape learners do not suffer as a result of the potential failings of the Department."
"The applicants have applied for the matter to be heard on 4 June 2015 in the Grahamstown High Court."
