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Cristina Vallejo
Malaga
Friday, 20 September 2024, 12:53
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The school year has got off to a bumpy start at María del Mar Romera primary school La Cala del Moral on the eastern stretch of the Costa del Sol. Several families of pupils at the school have complained that their children are no longer able to use the school buses.
Jaime and Manuela have said that their children, who are entitled to use school transport provided by the Junta de Andalucía for this school year could not get on the bus on 12 September, although ten other children were able to get on the bus at the same stop.
In addition, their teacher had previously told their parents that it was possible for them to use the school bus this year. In addition, Jaime and Manuela claim that there are free seats on the bus so that their children should be able travel to school on it.
They blame the problem on the fact that another mother, María, on hearing that Jaime and Manuela's children were able to use the service, but her children weren't, took the issue up with the school. According to the parents' version of events, the school may have decided that neither family could use the service, in order to avoid conflict and the possible ensuing grievance.
Another of the households affected is that of Alicia who, after moving house for her children can no longer use the transport service they had been doing for the four years they've been attending the school. They consider that there is a certain "arbitrariness" in the decision as to which children can go by bus and which ones can't: "It depends on who you complain to and who deals with you.
What is the background? According to a statement issued by the families affected, the problem has been going on since last year. During the last enrolment period, the school distributed a note to families informing them that "pupils using the transport service for the first time would only be able to use the stops located in La Cala del Moral".
This was an instruction which the school had to comply with and which came from the Junta de Andalucía's education department. This means that children who attend María del Mar Romera primary school but live in Chilches, Rincón de la Victoria or Torre Benagalbón are not guaranteed the transport service.
SUR has tried to speak to the school, but it has referred the paper to the education office in Malaga city. The latter institution states that "the school transport service is not at all arbitrary" and that "it is regulated by Decree 287/2009, which establishes that the competent regional education department will determine the pupils entitled to the free provision of school transport, by educational stage and area of residence".
It goes on to say, "It is this criterion that is applied for the concession of the service" and that "the distance from the home to the centre where the pupils are enrolled is taken into consideration, which in no case can be less than two kilometres, as well as the fact that there is no other centre closer to the home, or to the requested stop, with available places".
The parents claim that the Junta de Andalucía is impeding their free choice of school and that they have chosen the school in question because it is governed by principles - they work on projects, not textbooks - which is what motivated the parents to enrol their children there.
"They are trying to intervene in the freedom of choice of school," they say. "The Junta wants us to change our children's school, but it does not take into account either the integration of our children in the centre, or that it is a centre with unique teaching methods in the area," which they argue is "very attractive to our families". They also highlight that Chilches Costa does not have an alternative educational centre.
The Junta de Andalucía has explained that every March schools publish a list of stops available for pupils and that if any of them are to be discontinued, they are also informed of this. These stops, according to the Junta, "are not available to new users of the transport service" and that "in the case of María del Mar Romera primary school, in addition to the information given in the electronic enrolment process, the centre informed families of the existence of these stops at the admissions meeting. The only exception established when siblings are already at the school and are already using the stop".
But, for parents, "the application of this measure means that children who share the same school and place of residence do not have access to transport on equal terms". In addition, say that they don't understand why these stops are being phased out, when they could continue to be used as long as there are seats on the bus. They also say that they have not been given a date when the stops will be discontinued.
Manuela explained that things will start to get complicated for her family once she has to return to work in December. In the meantime, Alicia lamented that a move caused by soaring property prices has left her children without school transport. Alicia has also asked Rincón de la Victoria town hall to intervene: "They boast about their sustainable mobility plans and their concern for the environment, but for every family that cannot use the school access, there is one more car on the road".
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