The Minister of Education has shown complete disregard for rural communities and their school bus routes in Question Time today.

“Erica Stanford and the Transport Minister Simeon Brown used an opportunity when being questioned about rural school bus route cancellations to talk about how great it was that students can take public buses in Auckland,” Labour’s education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“New Zealand doesn’t end at the Bombay Hills. How do changes to public transport in Auckland help children in Hawkes Bay and West Coast who are losing their rural buses?

“It might be news to National, but public buses aren’t an option for many Kiwis.

“For working parents in rural areas school buses are essential. They’re now facing hours out of their day to get their young people to and from school – or even longer if they have children in both primary and high school.

“Rural school bus cancellations and changes are leaving families scrambling to find alternatives. These cuts are hitting rural communities hard and making access to education even more difficult, while the Government claims to be focused on attendance.

“Rural kids and rural schools matter. The Minister must take this issue seriously and stop the cuts to school buses,” Jan Tinetti said.

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