Michael Sakuneka

Michael Sakuneka

A decision by the Limpopo education department to combine 300 farm schools has been met with mixed feelings by parents whose children are enrolled at the schools.

The move started early this year. Now parents say their children will be forced to drop out of school because of the distance they will have to travel to reach schools nearest to them.

Two of the combined schools are Apel and Sekolotome primary schools outside Tzaneen.

Piet Malungani told Sowetan that he could not afford the transport fee to the new school.

"The move will be a burden for me because at the moment I am not even able to support my five children with the meagre earnings I get from my work," he said.

John Nkwashu, whose daughter is a Grade 5 pupil in Sekolotome Primary, said he had decided that she would drop out.

Department spokesman Ndo Mangala said schools with an intake of 50 or less pupils had been targeted.

He said a decision was taken to improve the state of education at farm schools.

Mangala said the department would assist parents who could not afford transport fees.