Kylie Epskamp and her daughter Iris from Lang Lang is concerned about spaces available on buses. 39004
By Melissa Meehan
KOOWEERUP parent Nadia Cammarano follows her children’s school bus the whole way to St John’s Primary School each morning.
Not because she enjoys the drive, but because her young prep student daughter sitting in the seat next to her is not allowed on the half-empty bus.
Each morning, Ms Cammarano farewells her two sons on the bus and then jumps in the car with her daughter and drives her to school.
“It seems crazy since the other two are on the bus,” Ms Cammarano said.
“But I have been told there is no room on the buses.”
Despite claims that government school buses to Kooweerup Secondary College and Kooweerup Primary School are half-empty, many St John’s Primary School parents say Ms Cammarano is not the only one in her situation.
The government says the buses are at full capacity, but St John’s parents say its not fair that families who do not use the service have had seats allocated to them.
St John’s Primary School principal Simon Del ‘Oro said his students had been unable to access seats on the government school buses for the last couple of years despite policy that says Catholic school students can make up the numbers.
“We have been told by bus drivers and other parents that these buses are often left with empty seats while our kids have to be driven to and from school,” Mr Del ‘Oro said.
“It is not fair for the families who want to send their children to the nearest Catholic school in the area.
“We have students from Lang Lang, Bayles, Yannathan, Cardinia, Grantville and Tooradin – the half-empty buses often drive right past them.”
He said the most frustrating thing was cases similar to Ms Cammarano’s children, where the older children had access to seats, but the younger children did not.
“We just want a result that sees our kids have access to this basic service – in line with the policy.”
Four of Karen Mascardi’s five children attend Kooweerup schools – two attend St John’s Primary School and two others attend Kooweerup Secondary College.
Her eldest daughter has completed her VCE this year and will not be at the school next year, and her youngest will start Prep – but has been told there is no room on the bus.
“I’ve been told that there is no room on the bus next year for my youngest, even though my eldest daughter won’t be riding the bus,” she said.
“It’s just rubbish.”
Ms Mascardi said she couldn’t understand why her youngest child couldn’t just take the now empty seat.
“I have no other solution but to send the other three on the bus and then jump in the car and drive my youngest to school,” she said.
“If I do that I will have to give up hours and work, and with a family of five kids I need to work.”
Flinders MP Greg Hunt, who met with angry parents last week, said there needed to be a more flexible approach to the allocation of seats on school buses.
“There is no reason why the Education Department can’t come up with a more efficient system,” he said.
A government spokesperson said Kooweerup Secondary College bus services were currently at capacity. But eligible students from non-government schools can travel on government school bus services if space is available.
“The college will lodge relevant data for 2010 with the Department of Infrastructure by late November.
“From this, the Department will determine if any extra services are required to meet demand.”
