Recently during Parliament session, Members of Parliament (MPs) expressed concern over the long distances that some children as young as seven years are forced to walk daily to get to school. The concerned MPs said that the impact of the distance is revealed in students’ low performances at school, which for years has been contributing badly to the country’ s decline in results. The MP for Letlhakeng/Lephephe constituency Liakat Kablay is concerned by the long distances that some children in his area are forced to walk daily. “You cannot expect a child to walk 14km to school daily and look forward to good results from that child.
Children in my area walk long distances from Maratswane to attend lessons at Malwelwe during rainy seasons and hot days. This is sad and not pleasing at all, something needs to be done,” Kablay said. Kablay said that travelling long distances to school, the learners arrive late and tired hence unable to concentrate in class. “When a learner finally arrives at Malwelwe tired and hungry, even when a teacher is standing in front of them teaching, they fail to concentrate,” Kablay said. He said that it’s been years since he complained about this matter in Parliament pleading for it to be addressed for the sake of the innocent souls. He said in the past, the school was allotted donkey carts to rescue the situation, but they also failed because the area has too much sand. “Le fa sekotsekara se laisitse bana se gogiwa ke ditonki, owaai! se felela mo tseleng, ba a se fologa ba bo ba se etelela kwa pele. Jaanong ke re rraetsho ke one mathata a e leng gore ke ne ke kopa gore re thusiwe,” Kablay said.
