Suffolk County Council puts plans in place for children's safe return to school in September
Suffolk County Council has announced it is making preparations to ensure that pupils can be transported safely to school during the coronavirus pandemic.
Around 12,000 pupils, who are eligible for funded school travel, are transported to and from school by the authority every year.
Based on guidance published by the Department for Education, the council has introduced measures to ensure that pupils' safety is at the forefront from the start of term.
Although social distancing will not be required on vehicles carrying only school pupils, children will have to wash their hands before and after travelling to minimise spread of viruses.
Eating and drinking will not be allowed on the vehicles and face coverings are recommended for children aged 12 and over.
School travel passes have so far been sent out to around 8,000 of 10,000 pupils.
The county council is also responsible for arranging public transport for around 2,000 pupils.
As per Government guidance, the authority is undertaking a review of its 90 bus routes in order to determine which routes can be dedicated to carry just school children and is also exploring other options such as additional buses and zoning buses.
This comes after the Government announced £40million of funding to help local authorities create extra capacity and allow more students to use alternatives to public transport.
For pupils with special educational needs, routes are in the process of being finalised, with families due to be contacted in the next two weeks.
Cllr Mary Evans, cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, said: “I appreciate how unsettling this is for parents who are preparing for September but I would like to assure them that the school travel team are working extremely hard to ensure transport is arranged for all eligible students for the start of term.
“I welcome the announcement that local authorities will receive additional funding this year to provide dedicated transport to eligible pupils. Our priority is to ensure the safety of children on their journeys to and from school and we will continue to update families as we work through the guidance.”
Cllr Penny Otton, of the Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent Group and spokesman for education and children’s services, said: “There are still 4000 families in Suffolk who don’t have their school bus passes. With just over three weeks to go until the new school year starts, I am very concerned that we are going to see a repeat of last year’s disaster - with school bus passes issued far too late, causing huge confusion and distress for families.
“There is also still no clarity for families who rely on purchasing a spare seat to get their child to school. From what the council is saying, it seems very unlikely that they will know whether they can purchase a seat before the school year starts. This uncertainty has a huge knock-on effect for families, making it extremely difficult to plan working hours for parents and even which school uniform they should be buying for their children.
“This is adding more and more stress for parents and carers, at a time when they are also dealing with fears over the safety of their children at school.”
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