Advice report student transport delivered to state secretary.

Advice report student transport delivered to state secretary.

Student transport has not worked well for years. While reliable transport is very important for these often vulnerable children. That is why we, together with other organizations, wrote an advisory report. We handed this report to Secretary of State Koen Becking from the Ministry of Education and discussed its content.

Why an advisory report on student transport?

There have been problems with student transport for years. Trips are canceled, drivers change often, travel times are long, and there is no guidance. It is time to really do something about these problems. That is why Ouders & Onderwijs, LBVSO, Parent Association Balans and Ieder(in) wrote the advisory report on student transport. The parent and student organizations warn that the current system does not work well. And without reliable transport, accessible and tailored education is not possible. Many children face difficulties because of this.

The most important points from the report

The four organizations urge national coordination, equal standards, and transport as an integral part of tailored education. Only this way can every child travel to school safely and predictably. We see five key points:

• Make transport part of school choice: A school is only suitable if a student can actually get there.
• Include transport and endurance in the Development Perspective Plan: Travel time, endurance, and guidance must be evaluated yearly.
• National quality standards: Less difference between municipalities and more transparency in travel time, safety, and continuity.
• Schools as a structural partner: Better coordination between schools, municipalities, and transport providers.
• Fair conditions for transport providers: Contracts must focus more on quality and continuity and less on price.

Discussion about the advisory report on student transport

The advisory report on student transport was given to Koen Becking: the Secretary of State of OCW. We talked a lot about the problems and the solutions we see to improve the situation. Also, Sectorraad GO and VNG attended the discussion.

Secretary of State wants to work together on a solution

The Secretary of State wants to work with the organizations on a better system. The goal is that every child can go to school happily, also if the child depends on student transport. After years of talks, there now seems to be a first step toward a lasting solution.

Some agreements were made:

• It will be looked at whether transport can be included when applying for the Declaration of Admissibility for another school.
• It will be researched if national rules can be set about good student transport.
• There will be research to get a national overview of the current state of student transport.

We keep working for better student transport

We are very happy with the outcome of the discussion and keep working for better student transport. Do you have questions about student transport for your child? Then contact our advice point or read more about student transport in our knowledge base.