Concern over sudden end to rural school's bus service

The principal of a rural primary school has said some parents have been left wondering how to get their children to school after its bus was withdrawn and replaced by a taxi.

The Education Authority (EA) said it had replaced the bus with a taxi after it determined only six children from Dunseverick Primary School needed home-to-school transport.

But its principal Leanne Smyth said the figures did not take into account children starting the school for the new academic year who needed the service - meaning the true figure was much higher.

She added that she was particularly frustrated she was only told about the change days before term started. The EA has been asked for comment on that claim.

"My heart goes out to the parents who are now in a situation where they can't even tell their children who is taking them to school," Smyth said.

"I'm really, really anxious and really concerned, a lot of people pick our school because they have the yellow bus service to bring them to and from school."

The principal said she felt let down by the lack of communication from the EA.

She said she first heard the news from the bus driver and was only contacted by the EA on Thursday.

"Our closest town is Bushmills, about six miles away, we have quite a wide catchment area and a lot of our parents are working parents," she said.

"There's no safe route for the children if they had to walk."

Smyth said the EA had not taken into account children who were starting this year and had not yet officially applied for transport.

She said delaying an application was common as parents often did not want children in reception or Primary 1 to get the bus until they had settled into school and said the EA would have had a better idea of the figures if it had contacted her directly.

An EA spokesperson said transport routes were reviewed every year "to ensure they continue to meet pupil demand and deliver value for money".

"Following assessment of pupil applications for the new academic year, EA has provided a vehicle that fully meets the needs of all eligible children, ensuring continued access to school transport," they said.

Lauren Pearson, whose daughter Thea started P1 this week, said she was "really disappointed" to find out the bus was being replaced by a taxi.

It means there is now no space for her daughter.

"My daughter was really looking forward to it, it's a bit of a rite of passage," she said.

"There's no option to walk, we don't have the footpaths and the roads are just too remote.

"I work for myself, so it means I'm going to have to add in the additional time.

"It's just really sad".

Smyth said that in any given year there was an average of about 10-15 children who would use home-to-school transport but claimed this had not been taken into account by the EA.

Cherith McConaghy's son Caleb already attends the school and her daughter Faith is due to start reception in November.

There is now no space for her to travel to school on EA transport.

"We only found out at short notice that the bus had been pulled, there was no warning, no discussion or anything," she said.

"It's just really frustrating and annoying.

"I think it's very fortunate for people that live close to a school or in a city and can walk to school, but we are rural, it's not safe, it's very busy coastal roads.

"Even if my children were in P7 and we lived within a mile I still wouldn't let them walk on the roads.

"I feel rural schools are just being overlooked."