Press Release: Department of Education in breach of Constitution over failure to provide scholar transport

For Imme­di­ate Release: 03 March 2016

Today, on behalf of the Khula Community Development Project and the School Governing Body of the Tyityaba Primary School based in the Eastern Cape, the Legal Resources Centre filed papers in the Makhanda High Court in an effort to compel the Minister of Basic Education to provide scholar transport for thousands of learners across the Province.

Thirty-one learners at Tyityaba Primary School, although meeting the criteria for scholar transport and promised that they would receive it in 2016, are still waiting for the provision of transport. Requests from the SGB for answers from the Department as to why there has been a delay have gone unanswered.

They are not alone; thousands of learners have not provided with scholar transport even though they qualify for it in terms of the scholar transport policy of the province.

The LRC is also seeking to compel the Acting Superintendent General of the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDOE) to provide Khula Development Project and the School Governing Body of the Tyityaba Primary School with a list of all learners in the Eastern Cape who have had their applications for scholar transport refused.

The ECDOE in breach of the Constitution for failing to communicate their decisions on applications for scholar transport to those learners effected.

We are also seeking for the MEC of Education in the Eastern Cape and Action DG, in conjunction with the Department of Transport, to urgently finalise a new scholar transport policy.

The matter has become an urgent one and the LRC is seeking to have the matter heard on an urgent basis.
ENDS