❓ A parliamentary question addresses the lack of school bus services for non-government school students on the first day of term. The Minister explains the issue stems from differing school schedules and outlines a plan to improve communication with private schools.
AnsweredQoN 177Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS - SCHOOL BUS SERVICE ON 1 MAY
I refer to the lamentable situation that occurred on Monday, 1 May when special school buses were not available to non-government school students for the first day of the new school term. (1) How did this bungle occur in the minister’s department? (2) How many students and schools were affected? (3) Will the minister apologise to those people affected by this failure by her department? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN
I refer to the lamentable situation that occurred on Monday, 1 May when special school buses were not available to non-government school students for the first day of the new school term. (1) How did this bungle occur in the minister’s department? (2) How many students and schools were affected? (3) Will the minister apologise to those people affected by this failure by her department? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
(1) How did this bungle occur in the minister’s department? (2) How many students and schools were affected? (3) Will the minister apologise to those people affected by this failure by her department? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
(2) How many students and schools were affected? (3) Will the minister apologise to those people affected by this failure by her department? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
(3) Will the minister apologise to those people affected by this failure by her department? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
(1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
(1) How did this bungle occur in the minister’s department? (2) How many students and schools were affected? (3) Will the minister apologise to those people affected by this failure by her department? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
(2) How many students and schools were affected? (3) Will the minister apologise to those people affected by this failure by her department? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
(3) Will the minister apologise to those people affected by this failure by her department? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
(1)-(3) The difficulty arises because of the fact that many of the private schools have school days or patterns that are different from those of the public schools, and they have not all taken the opportunity to advise the Public Transport Authority of their days of operation. As I understand it, the majority of private schools did have a pupil-free day on Monday, 1 May. There is some contention about whether it is the obligation of private schools to advise the government of their days of operation, or whether the Public Transport Authority should ring all private schools to find out whether their days of operation vary from the standard school days. In order to put this beyond doubt in the future, we will be writing to all private schools asking them to advise us at the beginning of the school year of the exact dates of their school terms.
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