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To: The Department of Education and Skills

No Child Gets Left Behind - End School Bus Transport exclusion

Petition to Abolish the current selection criteria for School Bus Transport, in relation to the ‘eligible’ and ‘concessionary’ categorisation, as the sole means to complete selection.

The Business model should be changed to an actual demand driven system. No child should be left behind.

We are submitting a formal petition to the Oireachtas to abolish the current selection criteria and the setting up of an Oireachtas Committe to ensure the new selection criteria is fairer and fit for purpose.

Why is this important?

Current selection policy does not take into account the nuances of rural living, whereby a child can be 0.1km outside a catchment area due to a twist in the road.

The current two tier system that discriminates against a child due to its eircode, with no account to the national road grid, feeder primary schools and recent increases in local population.

Concessionary children are being separated from their classmates and neighbours due to current selection criteria. This causes division and hostility in rural communities.

Has any consideration been given to a child’s mental health due to this outdated selection criteria?

These school bus fiascos have been going on for years. Just google it. Its a time for change and that time is now.

No child should get left behind.

Updates

2021-05-19 17:17:12 +0100

50 signatures reached

2021-05-18 10:38:07 +0100

25 signatures reached

2020-11-11 07:47:07 +0000

10 signatures reached