Parent groups are calling for more supervision on school buses after the NT Government put a 20 million dollar tender process on ice in Katherine. The move comes in response to concerns about fighting and bullying during morning and afternoon drop-offs - and could see the terms of the bus contract rewritten.
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00:00A school bus service that many parents in Catherine are reluctant to put their kids
00:06on.
00:07It was pretty shocking when we heard in detail from a wide range of people how bad it could
00:12get.
00:13Parent and school council chair Rob Chapman has been surveying local parents about the
00:17bus and collating their concerns.
00:20Shouting, pushing, violence, damage to the bus, windows getting broken, kids watching
00:27pornography, you know there's a whole gamut of stuff which wouldn't be tolerated within
00:32a school or a workplace and has been known about for a long time.
00:38The tender for Catherine's next school bus contract, worth up to $20 million, has now
00:42been put on hold as concerned parents call for new safety measures to be included in
00:48the deal.
00:49I've spoken to the Minister Yan about the bus contract, the tender that's gone out recently.
00:54That has actually been paused and the Minister is looking into that contract and he's also
01:00looking into the concerns that have been raised by community.
01:03NT school buses are governed by a code of conduct that does allow principals to request
01:08a second adult, besides the bus driver, to be on board, but only in special circumstances
01:14and with a written justification.
01:17The body that represents public schools territory wide says that's not good enough and is pushing
01:22for changes that will increase supervision.
01:25When the contract will go ahead, and if a second adult will be required, is still up
01:30in the air.
01:31I'm not sure how long that pause on the tender will be, but I know that all of the concerns
01:37will be looked into.
01:38An uncertain timetable for a vital service.