Questions are being raised about whether some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable students are being transported to and from school as safely as they should be, after an independent review identified significant weaknesses in the system responsible for specialised school transport.
The review of Specialised School Transport Assistance, known as SESTA, found improvements are needed across communication, safety planning, driver capability, supervision, vehicle standards and the transport of students who use wheelchairs.
SESTA provides transport assistance for children and young people aged between five and 21 whose mobility or safety needs prevent them from travelling independently to school. The Ministry of Education contracts local providers to transport eligible students, while some families receive a conveyance allowance instead.
For the whānau relying on the service every school day, the findings raise a fundamental question: can parents have confidence their disabled tamariki are safe from the moment they enter a SESTA vehicle until they arrive at school?
EIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE
The independent systems review was carried out between June and August and examined both the safety and effectiveness of SESTA.
An independent steering group included expertise spanning disability, education, transport, health and safety and lived experience.
It produced eight major recommendations, covering better information management and communication, clearer responsibilities, safer transitions between transport providers, stronger safety monitoring, improved driver capability, reviewing when additional adults should travel in vehicles, and tougher vehicle requirements around safety and comfort.
The Ministry of Education has accepted the findings and says it will immediately move to implement all eight recommendations and 28 priority actions, although proposals requiring additional funding will still be subject to cost-benefit analysis.
WHEN COMMUNICATION BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE
One of the strongest themes is information.
For many disabled students, knowing a name, address and school is nowhere near enough information to transport them safely.
Drivers may need to understand a child’s communication needs, mobility requirements, medical conditions, behaviour, sensory needs and what to do if something goes wrong.
The review’s first three recommendations all deal in some way with information: improving its quality and currency, strengthening how information is exchanged and ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities.
That matters because responsibility for SESTA is shared between caregivers, schools, providers, drivers and the Ministry.
Current rules state that drivers generally cannot touch students or leave vehicles unattended. School staff must therefore assist students getting into and out of vehicles at school, including fastening seatbelts and positioning devices where required.
For a child with complex needs, confusion about who is responsible for what can quickly move beyond an administrative problem and become a safety risk.
DRIVERS NEED MORE THAN A LICENCE
The review specifically calls for stronger driver capability and support.
SESTA drivers can be responsible for children with epilepsy, limited mobility, communication difficulties, reduced understanding, limited self-management or other conditions creating significant safety needs.
Existing guidance requires drivers to understand emergency evacuation procedures, monitor students during journeys, report unsafe behaviour and safely handle equipment travelling with students.
The independent review’s recommendation for greater driver capability therefore puts attention on whether training and support are sufficiently consistent across the country.
It also recommends reviewing the criteria for providing additional adults in vehicles, recognising that in some circumstances one driver may not be enough to safely manage the needs of the students being transported.
WHEELCHAIR SAFETY UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Vehicle requirements are another area singled out for improvement.
The review recommends strengthening standards to ensure both comfort and safety, an issue of particular importance for students travelling in wheelchairs or with specialist equipment.
The Ministry already provides funding for specialised equipment required for safe school travel, while SESTA eligibility specifically includes students with reduced mobility, chronic fatigue, medical conditions and limited motor skills.
For whānau, however, the standard cannot simply be whether transport exists.
It must be whether the vehicle, restraints, wheelchair arrangements, loading procedures and people operating the service are consistently capable of transporting their child safely.
A SERVICE WHĀNAU VALUE
The review is not a finding that the entire SESTA system is unsafe.
The Ministry says an important conclusion was that SESTA is highly valued and works well for most students and families most of the time. It also acknowledges the commitment of drivers, schools, families, providers and staff involved in delivering the service.
That distinction matters.
For many whānau, SESTA is what makes regular school attendance possible. Without suitable transport, some disabled children could face another barrier to accessing education.
But a service being essential does not remove the obligation to identify and correct weaknesses within it.
TĀNGATA WHAIKAHA MĀORI NEED TO BE PART OF THE RESPONSE
The findings also arrive amid a much wider national conversation about whether disability services are meeting the needs and rights of tāngata whaikaha Māori and their whānau.
Transport is part of educational participation.
If a disabled child cannot reliably and safely travel between home and kura, their right to participate fully in education can be compromised before the school day has even begun.
That makes implementation of the review important not only for transport policy but for disability equity.
The Ministry says it will continue working with students, whānau, caregivers, schools, providers and other stakeholders as the recommendations are implemented.
The test now will be whether the review produces measurable improvements on the road.
Because for parents handing their child over to a transport provider every morning, safe enough is not enough.
They need to know the driver understands their tamaiti, the vehicle is suitable, the right support is present and everyone knows exactly what to do when something goes wrong.
Getting disabled tamariki to school is not simply a transport contract. It is a duty of care.
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