Department of Education MEC, Fundile Gade, handed over 10 new 23-seater buses to 10 special schools at the Mandla Makupula Education Leadership Institute in East London, last week.
Gade said that they were handing over the buses as part of the department’s plan to enhance the accessibility and transportation capabilities of these special schools.
Furthermore, this investment in special schools will also boost and improve the educational experience for the students.
The schools to benefit from this initiative are Zamokuhle Special School in Alfred Nzo East, Sive Special School in Alfred Nzo West, Kanyisa Special School in Chris Hani East, Aliwal North Amasango Career School in Joe Gqabi, Khanyisa Special School in Nelson Mandela Bay, Ikwezi Lokusa Special School in OR Tambo Inland, Tembisa Special school in OR Tambo Inland, Tsolo Special School in OR Tambo Inland, and Kuyasa Special School in Sarah Baartman.
Gade said they were handing over 10 buses, but broadly had handed over 30 buses since 2019. The department is also looking into the capacity of the schools, and are rolling out a plan on the Human Resource provisioning, so that the capacity of the schools can match the demands required from the disability sector (the children given by the parents).
“Today we wanted to show the case that we can respond, no matter how difficult it is, to change the lives of those that are in need of government interventions.
“For me it is not just about the buses, but also how you re-edify the diverse nature of the society that we are, what strategic interventions are diverse so as to apprehend the nature and the character of the society that we have, so that you do not risk the kids day in and day out on the public transport system, knowing very well the implications of that, and the volatility of the public system that we use,” said Gade.
He added that they need state capacity to provide that service outside of the private one that is there, of course with the dynamics that are there, for example the taxi industry and bus owners, who might have questions on that.
Gade said that government must take decisions that are in the best interests of the people.
According to him, they also need to have a schooling system in the province that appreciates that a disability sector, from a white paper six, is almost left behind, generally, in the country.
“You need again to make some drastic interventions on that, so that you also come along with them and put emphasis on the development trajectory, not just of the results but also on the infrastructure that we have.”
The chairperson of the School Governing Body (SGB) of Khanyisa Special School in Cala, Lizo Kililizwe, said that they were happy to receive the bus from the Department of Education, stating that it will make their work easier.
“Even though we have other buses, they are no longer in good condition, and as a result we were planning to sell one of them.
“This one will replace the one that we will sell. We will make sure that it is always in good condition because we have a policy that says what should be done about these vehicles,” said Kililizwe.
Principal of Zamokuhle Special School from Mbizana, Pumla Mndela, said that she was very happy when they received this gift because they were always willing to have one.
“This is the second time we have received such a gift. We received the first one in 2014. Our school starts from Grade R to Grade 12.
“We are very proud that we are one of the schools who did very well in the matric results of 2023.
“We obtained 100 percent, where we were always sitting around 80 percent in the past years,” said Mndela.
