SADTU slams learning losses after school bus chaos
SADTU has demanded answers from the Western Cape Education Department after a learner transport stoppage reportedly left more than 21 000 learners without services on Tuesday. Transport resumed on Wednesday after an interim agreement with bus operators, but negotiations over rising diesel costs continue.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) in the Western Cape has harshly criticized the disruption of learner transportation, warning that even one day of missed teaching time cannot be recovered. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) must ensure that Tuesday's chaos, which left over 21,000 learners without transport, does not happen again, SADTU insists.
Learner transport services resumed on Wednesday following an interim agreement between the WCED and the South African National Small Bus Operators Council (SANSBOC-WC). However, the dispute over escalating diesel costs is far from over, with additional negotiations expected.
Kenneth Williams, SADTU's deputy provincial secretary, expressed deep concern over the impact of the standoff on learners, stating unequivocally that learning losses, whether a single day or an hour, are entirely unacceptable. He blamed the WCED for its failure to act proactively, noting that the union was informed that bus operators had planned to suspend services.
Williams highlighted that the most severely affected schools were in rural and deep rural areas, emphasizing the plight of the working-class children who lost an entire academic day.
According to Williams, SADTU has received reports indicating that more than 70% of learners were absent at certain schools on Tuesday. He has scheduled an emergency meeting with the WCED's Chief Director for tomorrow (Thursday) to secure assurances that the dispute will be resolved and to ascertain what measures will be implemented to prevent future occurrences.
The disruption occurred while SANSBOC pressed for relief from soaring diesel costs, requesting that existing learner transport contracts be updated to accommodate increasing fuel prices.
On Wednesday, Education MEC Jaco Londt confirmed the resumption of transport services following discussions with SANSBOC. He assured that the WCED would utilize the interim period to finalize internal processes before responding to SANSBOC on Friday. Londt revealed that the WCED already allocates R698 million in the 2026/27 financial year to transport over 71,000 learners daily.
For SADTU, Williams underscored the paramount importance of safeguarding classroom time, emphasizing that the union's forthcoming meeting with the WCED aims to glean insights into the department's strategy for averting future disruptions.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
