Home to School Transport Review

The Department of Education has announced a review of the current home to school transport policy.

The aim of the review is to ensure that home to school transport is fit for purpose and is sustainable over the long term.

In the region of 84,000 pupils are currently eligible for transport assistance which is around 26% of the school population.  The cost of home to school transport provision is approximately £81m per year. The review will not consider home to school transport for children with a statement of special educational needs which specifies a special transport need.

The Department has today started a process of engaging with parents, children, school staff and the wider public on how the future home to school transport policy should be shaped. As part of this process, an online questionnaire has been launched on the Department’s website https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/X5KRQYT.

In addition, the Department also intends to hold a number of meetings in different towns across Northern Ireland in the coming months.

A Departmental spokesperson said “The current home to school transport policy has remained largely unchanged for over 20 years, however in this very difficult financial climate, we need to seriously consider whether we can continue to do things in the same way. This process of engagement is about asking all stakeholders if they think the current policy is helping the right pupils within the available resources.  The review is about gathering ideas and views on the shape of a future policy”.

“The review will focus on ensuring a revised policy will deliver value for money, including the contribution that home to school transport provision could make to the delivery of a broad range of Programme for Government outcomes. Not all options would necessarily involve a reduction in expenditure or the number of pupils in receipt of home to school transport.” 

“At the end of any review of this kind it will be for a future Minister to make decisions on whether there should be changes to the current policy.  This review will allow a Minister to take informed decisions on this important service”.

Notes to editors: 

Notes to editors 

1. DE is responsible for home to school transport policy and the Education Authority is responsible for its delivery and administration.  The current policy has remained largely unchanged for the last 20 years.
2. In the region of 84,000 pupils are currently eligible for transport assistance which is 26% of the school population.
3. The overall cost of home to school transport provision is approximately £81 million per year.
4. The current policy circular is available on the DE website: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/circular-199641-home-school-transport
   • The policy for transporting pupils with a statement of special educational needs that specifies a special transport need is not being considered as part of this review.
   • The questionnaire is due to launch in December and will remain open until the end of March 2019.
5. It is anticipated that subject to political agreement, a public consultation on the way forward will take place in early 2020.  It is unlikely that any revised policy would take effect before September 2021.
6. Information on the review will be available via https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/review-home-school-transport-policy-0
7. Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office Tel: 028 91279207.  Out of office hours, contact the Duty Press Officer number 028 9037 8110 and your call will be returned.
8. Follow us on twitter@education_ni  and out new Facebook page Department of Education Northern Ireland.

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