SCHOOL ’BUSES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 44, 2 December 1940, Page 4

SCHOOL ’BUSES.

RE-ARRANGEMENT OF ROUTES.

QUESTION OF THE ALLOWANCES.

Advice to the effect that the temporary arrangement for the conveyance of children to the secondary schools in Ashburton from the Methven-Lynd-liurst area would be discontinued after February 1, 1941, was received by the Ashburton High School Board this morning in a letter from the Director of Education (Dr. BecbyL “Children living on any portion of the present route (if any service to Ashburtop continues to be available) will be entitled to conveyance allowance only if they arc eligible in accordance with the general conditions relating to conveyance,” said the letter. “These conditions provide that children living three miles or more from any post-primary school or from any conveyance route serving a post-primary school may be paid an allowance of 6d a return trip, and children living five miles or more from such school or ’bus route may be paid an allowance of 8d a return trip. In explanation, children living within three miles of the Methven District High School, or of a conveyance route to that school, will not be entitled to receive conveyance allowance to enable them to travel to Ashburton.

“Any applications for conveyance allowance submitted to the Department for approval will be carefully scrutinised from the above point of view. This memorandum is intended to be a preliminary notice only, but I am sure you will appreciate the necessity of the Department’s decision to arrange school services so as as avoid uneconomical arrangements and to restrict petrol consumption to the absolutely essential requirements.

“An endeavour is being made to arrange for a reorganisation of the services from Winchmore and Springfield to Lyndhurst in such a way as to make it possible for the children collected in these runs to attend at the Methven District High School for their postprimary education.' No child who travels from Winchmore to Ashburton on Mr Porter’s ’bus will be affected by the reorganisation proposed.”

Mr S. Smith said the Methven District High School Committee, of which he was chairman, had not made any move in regard to the rearrangement, and/it had not had any correspondence on the subject. The Education Board had received very strong orders to cuytail to the absolute limit all of its 84 school ’bus contracts. Under the new arrangements the ’buses would have to go to the neai’est school. The parents, of course, could send their children they liked, but it was only fair that when the board was paying it should say where the ’buses must go.

The headmaster (Mr E. A. Coder oft) in reply to a question, said the rearrangement would not affect the Ashburton High School a great deal.

The letter was referred to the headmaster and the secretary (Mr G. V. Furby) to supply information that had been asked for.