Long walk to school: 30 years into freedom, many kids in South Africa still walk miles to class

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

DUNDEE, South Africa (AP) — Thousands of children in South Africa’s poorest and most remote rural communities still face a miles-long walk to school, nearly 30 years after the country ushered in democratic change. The hardships reflect huge rifts in society and lack of equal access to education. In some places, children walk for two hours — about 10 kilometers, or 6 miles — to their schools. The lack of government-funded school transportation has led to myriad dangers. Girls face the threat of assault and robberies are rampant. Parents, local leaders and activists say the situation perpetuates already existing inequalities in a country described by the World Bank as the most unequal in the world.