No more walking for pupils

Following a report by Sowetan highlighting the pupils' plight, the department has now made a u-turn and offered school transport

FOR years pupils at Maloney Primary School in Magaliesburg had to walk for 45 minutes to get to school.

The pupils travelled 4km to school and another 4km back to the Orient Hills informal settlement in Mogale City.

The Gauteng education department had said the school could not get transport because the distance the pupils travelled was not big enough. The national norm is that scholar transport is provided for pupils who travel 10km on a round trip to school.

Following a report by Sowetan highlighting the pupils' plight, the department has now made a u-turn and offered school transport to the pupils.

"The department has intervened in this particular instance to avert the danger learners were exposed to on their way to school. These learners have been transported since March this year," provincial education spokesman Charles Phahlane said.

When schools reopened this term the pupils were picked up by two buses.

Principal Christina Masibi has welcomed the move.

"I am glad that the transport issue has been fixed. We have lost a lot of children on this road."

She said since the start of scholar transport pupils were arriving on time at school. - monamat@sowetan.co.za