Mother’s concern over lack of escorts on transport

A LOCAL mother has expressed deep safety concerns over Special Educational Needs (SEN) transport arrangements in Fermanagh.
Speaking to the ‘Herald this week, the mother of two young children with additional needs revealed the current arrangements allow a large number of children to travel with only a single escort. She feels this is unsafe and is impacting the wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable pupils.
The bus which travels across Fermanagh carries 16 students, one escort and one bus driver.
“One escort is definitely not enough for them to be able to supervise those children because you need eyes on the back of your head,” the Fermanagh mother told the ‘Herald.
“If you are in a bus yourself you are going to get extra hot and bothered and frustrated.
“I am a mum of two SEN boys but I would need eyes on the back of my head at times so they can’t always see what’s going on at the back of the bus either.”
This mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, has witnessed firsthand the challenges her children face on the bus.
“I think the regulations should change but also I have noticed that when one of the children might sing that could aggravate another child and with that then the whole bus kicks off and that then irritates the bus driver and the bus driver is trying to do the best he can on the road but also can get frustrated and distracted as well,” she stated.
As a mother of two children with Special Educational Needs she believes it is important for others to be more considerate of these children’s needs.
“I think that people should be a little bit more kind to each other because these are SEN children and these are SEN buses, we need to think of the interest of the children because after all they are only children. They are not a number, they are human beings. They are children.
“Be kinder to children with their disabilities because they are struggling as it is in their own world every day and they have enough going on, we might not understand what they have to deal with.
“Some of these children are also non-verbal and a lot don’t understand what’s going on, children with SEN should be a priority in this day and age.”
A spokesperson for the Education Authority (EA) said they were committed to the children’s safety.
“Ensuring the safety of all children and young people on their journeys to and from school, is of the utmost importance to the Education Authority,” said the spokesperson.
“We can confirm that the service in question has a 22-seating capacity, for which there is currently a total of 16 passengers and one escort.
“As such, the service is operating at normal capacity.
“We are committed to engaging with parents and carers around any concerns they have in relation to our Home to School Transport services and anyone who has a specific query about their child’s transport can submit a request via our website or contact the Transport Helpline on 028 9598 5959.”