Most dangerous ways to school : a case of peddie in the Eastern Cape

Abstract

The Bill of Rights is contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution of South Africa. It sets out fundamental human rights, which include the right to basic education. This right to basic education must not only be guaranteed but also realized holistically in order to satisfy the educational requirements of all learners. The holistic approach occurs when the following are equally addressed: access, quality, and safety. In South Africa, the government has established a legislative and policy framework to satisfy the latter holistically. However, despite the efforts made by the government, some learners still experience challenges that impinge negatively on their right to basic education. In 2020, groundUp reported that learners in Peddie walked more than 30 km to school. This research paper explores the journey to and from school that these learners endure. In this exploration, this research paper adopted a qualitative research approach in the form of an in-depth interview and observation. Using in-depth interviews allowed the researcher to validate and understand the difficulties faced by these learners. Using observation, the researcher was able to examine the physical and emotional states of these learners. Ten learners were selected using a random sampling technique. For data analysis and to ensure trustworthiness and transferability, a Duquesne Phenomenological Research Model (DPRM) was used. The paper's findings validate the report by groundUp. Despite the fact that the current research paper is cross-sectional in nature, it recommends and calls for an urgent invention by the government through providing scholar transportation.