The Limpopo provincial government said that it was committed to providing transport for pupils who were not living close to schools.
"Our commitment to provide scholar transport for those learners whose nearest schools are five kilometres or more away from their homes is unwavering. In 2017 alone, we provided scholar transport to 255 schools across the province," said Premier Stan Mathabatha.
Mathabatha was delivering his state-of-the-province address (SOPA) to the fifth Limpopo provincial legislature in the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane on Friday.
He said that the school nutrition programme had also played an important role in ensuring the improvement of learner attendance and contributing towards effective learning.
"This year, almost 3 800 schools will benefit from the provision of meals as per the National Schools Nutrition Programme. In this regard, we will contract over 10 500 food handlers, who will be supplemented by an additional 145 school-based monitors. The school infrastructure also plays a significant supportive role in the quality of our education," he said.
According to him, to that effect, they were building on the work done both last year and the previous years. "Our work will include the building of new classrooms, new schools and the refurbishment and maintenance of existing infrastructure. We will connect 134 schools with drinking water and decent sanitation facilities and we will build 400 new classrooms, 100 special rooms, nine new schools and 50 Grade R schools and renovate 100 schools."
He added that the No- fee School policy remained one of the most progressive policy interventions and said this year in Limpopo alone, 41 459 more learners would benefit from the policy.