The tragic and wholly preventable deaths of 14 young learners this week, who lost their lives while being transported to school in a scholar transport vehicle, have exposed the urgent need for stricter safety enforcement and proper oversight in the scholar transport system.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) again sends its deepest condolences, and our hearts go out to the families, friends, classmates, and educators affected.
The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, told Parliament last year that approximately 667 000 learners make use of government-subsidised scholar transport, while a further 2.8 million learners rely on private scholar transport arranged by parents. She further stated government’s intention to move more learners into the subsidised system.
If that is indeed the goal, then government has a clear responsibility to first fix the system. Expanding a broken and unsafe system without urgent reform would be irresponsible.
Therefore, BOSA is today calling for Minister Gwarube to at once launch a nationwide inquiry into the entire scholar transport system, covering both publicly subsidised and privately arranged scholar transport.
The inquiry must interrogate, at minimum:
- The screening, training, and vetting of scholar transport drivers
- The roadworthiness and maintenance of vehicles
- The enforcement of consequences for reckless and negligent driving
- The widespread and dangerous practice of overcrowding
- Oversight and accountability mechanisms across provinces
Should the Minister fail to act with the urgency this crisis demands, BOSA will pursue alternative accountability routes. These include calling for a full review of the National Learner Transport Policy of 2015, led jointly by the Department of Transport and provincial education departments, to expose why an existing policy continues to affect learners in practice.
We will also formally push for a Parliamentary Inquiry led by the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, in terms of section 55 of the Constitution, which empowers Parliament to exercise oversight, summon officials, and demand full accountability.
This call is reinforced by the South African Human Rights Commission’s recent findings into the scholar transport system in the North West Province. The SAHRC concluded that failures in the system amounted to serious violations of human rights, particularly affecting poor and rural children.
The SAHRC found that learners were indirectly denied their right to education because they were exposed daily to unsafe and dangerous transport conditions due to government shortcomings.
Government is failing learners at every turn. From the 30% pass mark and under-resourced schools, to pit toilets and overcrowded schools. It cannot now be allowed to expand scholar transport that puts the safety and lives of learners at risk.
Media Enquiries:
Roger Solomons
BOSA Spokesperson
072 299 3551