Communities living in farming areas of Mpumalanga and Limpopo have expressed concerns about the future of their children’s education.

They accuse the Department of Basic Education of neglecting their schools, unlike in urban and township areas where officials regularly visit during school openings.

They say a major issue they face is the lack of reliable scholar transport.

Residents are urging the department to inspect and monitor the quality of teaching and learning in these schools.

The local chief of Emhlabaneni, Khathazile Mahlangu says, “What a shame in our farming schools. It’s even worse—the department doesn’t bother to check if teachers are giving our learners quality education or to inspect the process of teaching and learning. Schools were opened on the 15 January countrywide, but our children started on the 22nd due to scholar transport challenges.”

Department of Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga acknowledged the challenges faced by schools in farming areas, noting that their location on private land often results in unequal access to quality education.

Mhlanga says, “As the department, we have a duty to monitor, to support, and to ensure that all learners and teachers in farm schools have an equal right to quality education. Our officials will be doing more monitoring to ensure that these learners and teachers are not disadvantaged as a result of operating from farms.”

The department has pledged to address the concerns and improve educational outcomes in farming communities.