Parents urged to make submissions on school transport
Parents, guardians, students and all other interested stakeholders are being urged to make submissions to the review of the School Transport Scheme which is currently underway.
Parents and guardians are invited to complete a survey available online at gov.ie/ schooltransportreview. Post-primary students are also invited to complete a survey available on the same website. The closing date for completing these surveys is Thursday, February 10.
Local communities have been affected by school transport issues for many years according to Cork North Central TD, Pádraig O’Sullivan who, this week, along with local councillor William O’Leary, is urging people to make their views known.
“School communities in areas such as Watergrasshill, Glenville, Whitechurch, Grenagh and Bottlehill have all raised the issue of school transport with me for many years now,” Deputy O’Sullivan said.
In September of 2021, Cllr O’Leary reported that there were between 65 and 80 families in contact with him regarding the difficulty in securing seats on school transport. It is understood that the issue extended from Glenville, Rathcormac, Ballynoe, and parts of Castlelyons and Conna at the time.
Parents, guardians, students and all other interested stakeholders are being urged to make submissions to the review of the School Transport Scheme which is currently underway.
Local communities have been affected by school transport for many years now, according to Cork North Central TD, Pádraig O’Sullivan, who is urging people to make their views known.
Parents and Guardians are invited to complete a survey available online at gov.ie/schooltransportreview. Post-primary students are also invited to complete a survey available on the same website. The closing date for completing these surveys is Thursday, February 10.
The review, which is currently being conducted by the Department of Education, encompasses the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs and the primary and post-primary school transport schemes.
“This has been an issue I have been campaigning on for a long time. School communities in areas such as Watergrasshill, Glenville, Whitechurch, Grenagh and Bottlehill have all raised the issue of school transport with me for many years now.”
“I will continue to work closely with parents and school groups on this issue and I support a demand-led approach to school transport and not a postcode lottery which currently exists,” Deputy O’Sullivan said.
Local councillor William O’Leary also welcomed the opening of the review of the School Transport system.
“I have long argued that the current system is no longer fit for purpose and outdated. There is a great deal of stress placed on families each year when it comes to the allocation of full tickets and concessionary tickets for bus seats.
“I would hope that this review will conclude in time that the School Transport must be demand-driven and the service should cater for such,” Cllr O’Leary said.
In September of 2021, Cllr O’Leary reported that there were between 65 and 80 families in contact with him regarding the difficulty in securing seats on school transport.
It is understood that the issue extended from Glenville, Rathcormac, Ballynoe, and parts of Castlelyons and Conna at the time.
The previous year, 2020, saw 16 pupils left without school transport from their homes in Glenville to school in Fermoy. At that time, it is understood that students in Glenville, Kildinan, Ballynoe/ Conna, Araglin, Rathcormac and Glanworth were affected by similar issues.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS
The review, which opened last week, will examine the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, with a view to ensuring that it serves students and their families appropriately.
Other issues under consideration include the efficiency of the service and also examine the potential scope for a more coordinated approach with other Government departments involved in transport services.
The Department will shortly contact the education partners and other relevant stakeholders to invite written submissions and to make arrangements to meet as appropriate.
It is planned that the Steering Group on School Transport Scheme Review will report to the Minister of Education on an interim basis as the review progresses, with a view to presenting a final report with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.