What Time Does School Responsibility End?

gonker

When does a schools responsibility for a child end...ie. My nephew is just gone 7 and has started in "big school" he gets the bus to and from school. Since he went back to school in September his books have been emptied out of his bag by a bigger kid and an icepop has been put into his bag and it melted over his new school books. My sis quizzed him about when this happened and he said that the bus comes to the school after they finish they have to cross a road (with the aid of a school patrol) and wait on the bus. Some of the kids have money and go into the local shop while waiting so it is obviously a while before the bus comes. My sister rang the school and the teacher said that once school is over their responsibility for the child is over too. What do you think is that correct or should they deliver them to an adults care... seven is a bit young to be left on a road (in a town) unaccompanied.

Beruthiel

Originally posted by gonker
seven is a bit young to be left on a road (in a town) unaccompanied.

seven is exceedingly young to be left alone, do you know any older kid going to the same school who could keep an eye on him? I imagine once school is finished it is up to the parent to make sure the child is sorted.

Sleipnir

I don't think you can make the school responsible for what happens after the kids have left the premises.
Should the teachers walk the children home?

Having said that, the parents could ask the teachers to mention in class "the problems that are occuring at the bus stop and on the bus"
and that they had better stop.

I HATE bullies with a passion. I never was bullied myself but everyone knows someone who was and it's probably the worst thing that can happen to a child.
The 'Bigger kid' needs taking down a peg and I think teachers are best equipped to do that.
Although I'd imagine it's not too easy to convince them of that.

gonker

Dont think she knows any older kids. She lives about 3 miles from the school so all the kids get buses. She would walk down (she used to when he was in the other school) but she has a 3 year old a one year old an a nine month old aswell. It would be quite difficult for her that is why she presumed the school took care of them when they were waiting for the bus. AT our local school most of the kids get the bus too but the driver is there at least 10 minutes before they get out and he pulls up right at the school gate so they cannot escape:D

gonker

I don't think you can make the school responsible for what happens after the kids have left the premises.

No I dont think so either but surely they should make sure that there is someone responsible to take them especially at that age.
g

Nevyn

The Schools and the schools insurance is
no involved once the shild leaves school grounds to go home at the agreed time.

Some schools do ahve parent that give up some of thier time to be on the buses but
in most cases it just the 30 kids and the driver.

Victor

The school should keep the (bus-using) children on site until the bus arrives. That way they can have some control over them.

There was a court case a few years ago about this type of carry-on in Bus Aras (for kids in city schools going to places like Ashbourne) and while the judge said Bus Eireann didn't have a parentis in loci (guardian of the moment) responsibility, they did have a responsibility to run the bus station in an orderly manner. I doubt the same could apply to a bus stop on a public road.

gonker

There was a court case a few years ago about this type of carry-on in Bus Aras (for kids in city schools going to places like Ashbourne) and while the judge said Bus Eireann didn't have a parentis in loci (guardian of the moment) responsibility, they did have a responsibility to run the bus station in an orderly manner. I doubt the same could apply to a bus stop on a public road.

This is not a bus stop per se it is just a place on the road that the bus stops to pick up the kids ...if you understand what I mean. It is a private bus company that bus eireann uses instead of its own buses to ferry the kids to and from school.
The teacher said that she would say it to the kids about the bullying but I dont know if that is going to do any good...
g

Victor

I just wondering (a) is it a public school bus service or is it contracted to the school (b) does the school have a pupil insurance scheme in place?

Do parents / teachers / neighbours want to volunteer to supervise the kids until the bus comes?

Are the kids just left stand in the rain until whenever the bus comes?

Sleipnir

Originally posted by gonker
No I dont think so either but surely they should make sure that there is someone responsible to take them especially at that age.
g

And what if there isn't someone responsible to take them after school? Should the teachers wait until the kids can be collected at five, six or seven o'clock? I wouldn't like that if I were a teacher.

Probably the person who should be there is a parent but, in this case, that's not possible.

Nevyn

Originally posted by Victor
I just wondering (a) is it a public school bus service or is it contracted to the school (b) does the school have a pupil insurance scheme in place?

Do parents / teachers / neighbours want to volunteer to supervise the kids until the bus comes?

Are the kids just left stand in the rain until whenever the bus comes?

in order to stop children taking up places on the regular buses on bus routes
dublin bus and bus eirean contract the school routes out to private bus owners.

once the school day is over and children leave the presmises the school has no more say in the matter.
Most primary schools do require a letter from the parents stating that thier child when it reaches the proper age can undertake the journey home by it's self with out this note in the school file the school must wait until an adult comes and collect the child, some schools go as far as to have a list of known people that are the only ones allowed to collect the child.

As the lack of schools and school places close to where people are living get worse more and more young children are forced to bus their way to school.

and as ever in this country there are not the correct provisons in place to deal with this and childred are going to suffer as a result.

Yes Children will have to wait unsupervised in the rain until the bus gets there and if the bus is late they just hae to wait.

gonker

I just wondering (a) is it a public school bus service or is it contracted to the school (b) does the school have a pupil insurance scheme in place?

Its the department of education if a child lives so many miles from their local school they are entitled to a bus and I think it is a public bus too just the parents pay for some of the kids.
Yes they do have the insurance scheme the one where you pay 8 euro for it.
and yes they have to stand in the rain waiting for the bus....
thanks for all the replies i am relaying them to my sis as they come in....:D

chill

You are confusing a few issues here.

The school cannot be 'responsible' for what happens outside it's premises, that is madness. And they cannot be responsible for 'delivering the child into the parents care', that would be logistically impossible.

But that does not mean they cannot respond to events that happen outside school.

My 11yo son is in a public national school in Killiney. His headmaster responds energeticall and aggressively to ANY incident involving one of the pupils outside the school where bullying is concerned. They have an extremely aggressive bullying policy that is distributed to parents each year and by golly he puts it in to action.

If your case were to arise he would have had the boys responsible in his office, parents in, immediate groundings at breaks and warnings that any repeat would result in expulsion. This has happened in the last 12 months.
It also happend to my son where he was 'slammed' on to the ground by an older boy far from the school. The above action was immediately implemented by the headmaster, the boy was grounded for a month and he and his father came to my house personally and apologised.

gonker

that is very impressive...a pity other school heads do not have that attitude....and the fathers attitude in making the son apologise. I have seen so many parents deny that their child is a wrong doer...the "my angel wouldnt do that" attitude.

chill

Originally posted by gonker
that is very impressive...a pity other school heads do not have that attitude....and the fathers attitude in making the son apologise. I have seen so many parents deny that their child is a wrong doer...the "my angel wouldnt do that" attitude.

Well I can say that I know of several schools locally that are equally aggressive. Times are changing now and to the best of my knowledge it is the indifferent ones that are now the exception.
It is up to parents to get together and make contact with the Head or the School Board and insist on action. In my experience of parents in my son's classes other parents are usually very concerned when no action is taken and are pretty willing to band together to insist.