“That ICPA Qld lobbies the Department of Education, Department of Transport and Translink to make Kindergarten children attending local schools that offer State Delivered Kindergarten an allocation so that they can travel on designated Rural bus runs.”
We are seeking that Translink includes in their policies guaranteed seating allocation for kindergarten attendance children. Formal recognition of kindergarten children is required for bus operators to receive any State Government financial assistance.
Currently, where space permits, bus operators are transporting kindergarten children on their service as a matter of goodwill. Whilst in many cases the inclusion of these children will assist in the long-term viability of bus runs due to increased numbers, there may be short term instances where the total number of children seeking to travel on a bus run may exceed the number of allocated seats a small bus has capacity to carry. In these instances, we are seeking that there be provision made to allow some discretion and decisions of the local community, together with either their bus committee or bus operator, to decide how any additional numbers will be handled. We would be seeking that in making the allocation a guarantee, that a small bus operator should not be automatically required to upsize their bus to accommodate the extra numbers if it is a short-term increase.
Since State Delivered Kindergarten has now been in place at any State School throughout Queensland since 2019, it is time that these students be provided for as an allocation in alignment with all other students.
