The Minister of Education has come under criticism for downplaying concerns over rural school bus route cancellations.
In Question Time, Labour's education spokesperson Jan Tinetti accused the Minister of disregarding rural communities and their reliance on school buses. According to Tinetti, changes to public transport in Auckland do little to help children in rural areas such as Hawkes Bay and West Coast who are losing their buses. She questioned how these changes would benefit students who cannot use public buses.
The issue has left working parents in rural areas scrambling to find alternative transportation options for their children. The cancellations are affecting families with children in both primary and high school, adding hours to their daily schedule.
Tinetti emphasized that the Minister must take this issue seriously and stop the cuts to school buses. Labour claims that the Government's focus on attendance is being undermined by these rural school bus cancellations.