Abstract
M.A. (Development Studies)
Regardless of South Africa’s governmental and non-governmental efforts to provide
basic education to children, there is a persisting hindrance for second-generation
migrant OVC in rural areas to access education. It is common knowledge that the
intersection of migration and education in rural contexts is under-researched. Nongovernmental
organisations such as Buffelshoek Trust are implementing support
programmes in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga in order to enhance access to education
for OVC. Mpumalanga province is one of the poorest and most marginal parts of South
Africa with an official unemployment rate of 69%. This study seeks to understand the
experiences of migrant children in accessing education and the role that Buffelshoek
Trust is playing in the process. While conceptualising the notion of migrant children,
the research discovered that second generation migrant children from 13-18 years
(especially undocumented and separated from biological caregivers), struggle to
access education as a result of their lack of identity documentation, and experiences
of discrimination and social exclusion. The study points to numerous gaps and
shortfalls in international, regional and South African policies and programmes, in
relation to migrant children’s access to education. The literature suggests that
understanding the experiences of migrant children’s access to education in a rural
context is crucial in informing decision-making and policy reformation. In-depth semistructured
interviews were conducted with ten migrant children, their caregivers and
four Buffelshoek Trust practitioners. Further, two focus group discussions with
caregivers were also undertaken. The findings analysed through a relational
framework, although non-generalisable, demonstrated that apart from the lack of
identity documents, migrant families had poor access to health care, were stigmatised
and experienced xenophobic sentiments while accessing education. Despite the help
they received from the Buffelshoek Trust, access to education was a challenge for
migrant children due to the multiple and overlapping vulnerabilities they faced. They
were for example, often excluded from writing examinations or participating in school
interventions regardless of the universal right to education. As a result of unreliable
sources of income, parents/caregivers were not able to cater for the educational needs
of their children. Hence, the socio-economic situation of migrant families negatively
affected migrant children’s education. While the Buffelshoek Trust did not explicitly
target migrant children, their involvement in the OVC support programme minimised
barriers for these children and presented opportunities to be educated in an
environment conducive to learning. The migrant children assisted by Buffelshoek Trust
were able to attend school regularly and no longer experienced the same challenges,
such as persistent hunger, that other migrant children not enrolled in Buffelshoek Trust
supported schools faced. This study was important to highlight the barriers and
opportunities of this generally hidden population and agentic responses of migrant
children to their often-vulnerable situations.