THE announcement by the Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir, that government is considering providing transportation for some school children is a most refreshing one, albeit it may have been overdue because, for quite some time now, the issue of children reaching school punctually as well as getting caught into the vicissitudes of the ‘minibus culture’ has been in the spotlight.
During the anti-truancy campaign also, one of the reasons given by parents/guardians for not sending their children to school is that they cannot afford the transportation costs.
In some instances, this may be the case while in others, parents/guardians may use it as a smokescreen to cover up the real reason(s) for the non-attendance of their children. But the fact is that many parents are finding transportation costs to and from school for their children very difficult, particularly in those instances where more than one child may be involved.
“Apart from the uniform and school feeding programme, we are looking to go a step further because we have children who have to walk several miles to get to and from school,” Nadir pointed out.
This is so true and it is indeed a fine gesture by the government and is yet another demonstration of its commitment towards improving the welfare and providing access to social services for all.
It would be hoped that universal transportation for school children will be the long term goal as resources allow because, apart from the costs involved and the issue of punctuality, etcetera, a very serious matter is that of discipline when students travel via minibuses.
The “minibus culture” is well known for its playing of loud and vulgar music, use of foul language, discourtesy and the extremely close “friendly” relations which develop between female students and drivers/conductors which have resulted in many rapes, teenage pregnancies and many girls quitting school long before they were supposed to do so. This “culture” has also resulted in students getting involved in the use of illegal drugs.
We are all well aware of the fact that many students have a choice of the minibuses they travel with; consequently, many of them can be seen wandering on the roads for hours because they only travel with certain buses. Students can be frequently heard using the popular remark that “they don’t travel with cork balls.”
So many students have become hooked on the ”minibus culture” and this obviously has been to their detriment and to that of the larger society as well. It is not that all minibus operators have a repulsive behaviour and attitude but a significant proportion do have a most undesirable and distasteful behaviour which is clearly “rubbing off” on many students who use the service and is contributing to greater indiscipline among students.
Already many private schools and non-governmental organisations have their own vehicles to transport children to and from school.
Nigeria, which is a developing country like ours, has a comprehensive school bus system in operation and according to Lagos-Nigeria—Advisor.com it has become an essential part of the school system.
“School bus has become an essential part of the school system in Lagos Nigeria. Most schools now have school buses that provide an easier means for pupils and students to get to school.”
What is the advantage of a student bus service provided by a school?
There are obviously a number of advantages.
** Door to door pickup by student bus service means that there is one less thing for parents to worry about
** Student bus service offered by schools also does return trips. That is, door to door drop off of kids from school
** Timeliness of buses means kids are certain to get to school early irrespective of issues at home
** Transportation cost is leveraged because the bus fees for the average school student bus are fair and somewhat lower than paying daily transportation for your kids.
** Student safety – Student bus service assures safety of your kids to and from school
** Good company – Children who use the student bus service provided by schools miss being caught up in rowdy bus stops with the public and avoid unnecessary hassles along the way home. They also avoid mixing with the wrong company as the buses take them straight home from school.
You could add a few more advantages to the list above if you think about it long enough.
The bus service provided by Lagos schools is a WIN-WIN deal for parents and the school-especially for parents without family car and a driver to pick up the kids after school hours.
Therefore, the initiation of school buses in our school system is a step in the right direction and all efforts should now be focused on its effective and efficient implementation and sustainable management thereafter.