Cape Town- More than 150 schoolchildren in the Western Cape’s farming areas have been robbed while walking to and from school and at least two have been raped.
The startling revelations were released in a survey of children from four Western Cape farming communities, highlighting the dangers they face.
The survey by the Women on Farms Project (WFP) involved interviews with 320 Grade 6 to 12 pupils in Wellington, Wolseley, Grabouw and Stellenbosch. It showed that:
* 50 percent of respondents had been robbed while walking to or from school.
* 25 percent of girl respondents in Wellington had been approached for sex and two girls were raped on their way to school.
* 60 percent said they could not attend extra classes or play sport because of a lack of transport.
Karen Roos, women’s health and empowerment co-ordinator for Women on Farms, said the survey showed that although many of the children lived more than 5km from their nearest school and should qualify for transport provided by the Western Cape Education Department, there was no transport for them.
“Some of the things that are happening to these children are quite shocking. In Wolseley, for example, many of the kids were beaten up after being robbed. These are poor children who I’m sure don’t have a lot of money. One girl’s hair was even cut off.”
A group of about 200 children was expected to march to the Western Cape legislature on Monday to highlight their challenges.
The findings of the survey were already presented to Education MEC Debbie Schäfer last week.
Schäfer’s spokeswoman, Jessica Shelver, said
Schäfer had asked the organisation to provide a list of the pupils’ names to allow the department to check if the schools concerned had applied for transport for them, as well as the distances the pupils were from their schools. “The application for learners on a transport scheme is the responsibility of the principal. Should the principal not apply… the department will not be aware that the learner requires transport.”
The department did not have the manpower or resources to protect learners travelling to and from school. This was the responsibility of the police and communities. Schäfer had asked the department to contact police stations within the affected areas to ask for visible policing.
Cape Argus