BUS CONVEYANCE OF CHILDREN

Southland Times, Issue 23852, 24 June 1939, Page 5

BUS CONVEYANCE OF CHILDREN

FARES CONSIDERED TOO HIGH

FEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION

Improved facilities for country children to travel by bus services to secondary schools were advocated by the Southland executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday. At a recent meeting it was decided to send a letter to the Southland Education Board drawing attention to increases in bus fares charged for the conveyance of children from the Heddon Bush district to the Invercargill secondary schools. A reply was received stating that the question was being referred to the Southland High Schools Board and the Southland Technical College Board. The matter was already under consideration and representations were being made to the Education Department. An outlying district near Woodlands was served by a bus service, but the cost of transport of children travelling to secondary schools was so high it was prohibitive, said Mr G. Stevenson. The result was that no children from that district had been sent to a secondary school for nine years. The amount available for subsidy was so small that it did not make it practicable for children to be sent to school. A small subsidy was available for a boarding allowance and this should be applied towards the travelling subsidy. Children living near the railway had an advantage over those in districts served by buses. He moved that country children not in a position to use the railways be given adequate assistance for conveyance by bus to secondary schools. Several members said that there were anomalies in the charges made for conveyance of children. In one district served by a bus children were taken to an adjoining district to connect with a different bus because the fares from the other centre were only half those charged on the bus from their own district. One member said that if children were driven to school by their parents an allowance of only sixpence a child a day was paid. Bus services conducted by education boards were run at a cost of from 1/- to 2/a child a day. It was strange, therefore, that parents were given such a small allowance. The motion was carried and it was decided to ask the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) to correct anomalies in the system of conveyance.