The 2-Hour Walk — The Daily Struggle of Learners Traveling Long Distances on Foot and the Impact on Their Readiness to Learn

In rural South Africa, countless learners begin each school day not with breakfast, not with transport, and not with a structured morning routine—but with a two-hour walk, often through dangerous terrain, harsh weather, and unsafe environments.

This daily ordeal is not a rare exception; it is a common reality.

Every morning, children as young as six:

wake up before sunrise

walk several kilometres along gravel roads

cross rivers, fields, and unsafe pathways

pass through crime-ridden areas

reach school exhausted, hungry, and late

The Department of Basic Education publicly promotes inclusive education and equal access, yet millions of learners start each day physically drained before a single lesson begins.

This is the hidden cost of educational inequality.

Learners walk long distances because:

transport allocations are inadequate

routes are poorly planned

contractors are unreliable

tenders are mismanaged

buses break down

funds disappear through corruption

Some provinces repeatedly fail to pay scholar transport operators, leading to:

strike actions

cancelled routes

abandoned learners

Children pay the price every time.

Walking learners face:

extreme morning cold

blistering afternoon heat

heavy rain

muddy roads

flooded pathways

threatening dogs

wild animals

These are not abstract obstacles—they are daily realities documented in rural schooling research across Limpopo, Eastern Cape, KZN, Free State, Mpumalanga, and North West.

The walk to school exposes children to:

sexual predators

kidnappers

muggers

gang territories

illegal mineworkers

drug addicts in nearby informal settlements

passing trucks on narrow rural roads

Many parents describe every school day as a gamble with their children’s safety.

A child who has walked 8–12km to school is:

tired

hungry

dehydrated

physically sore

less attentive

less emotionally regulated

Teachers report:

sleeping during lessons

slow responses

declining performance

irritability

frequent absenteeism

The DBE measures learner performance, yet ignores the most critical starting condition: a child’s physical readiness to learn.

Long walks contribute to:

high dropout rates

teenage pregnancy (through exploitation along routes)

early truancy

vulnerability to crime

long-term educational inequality

A learner who is exhausted daily cannot compete in a national exam system against children who arrive at school rested and fed.

Equal opportunity cannot exist in such a landscape.

: A Traditional Conservative Stance

A conservative viewpoint prioritizes child safety, efficient logistics, accountability, and equal access to opportunity.

No child should walk two hours to reach a school. Scholar transport must be expanded, monitored through strict tender control, and protected from corruption. The state has a duty to ensure safe, reliable access to education—not force children to sacrifice their health and safety for a basic constitutional right.

Conclusion

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