My DD is 5 and has recently started travelling to/from school on a council-provided school bus. There is a driver, but apparently no passenger assistant/chaperone on the bus. Yesterday she told me that an older boy on the bus tried to spill his juice over her. She said he was deliberately trying to do it, rather than it being an accident.
I know children messing around on buses isn’t exactly unusual, and I’m not suggesting this particular incident is some huge safeguarding crisis. But it has made me think about the fact that she’s only 5, travelling with considerably older children, and there doesn’t appear to be anyone supervising them other than the driver.
The driver obviously needs to concentrate on driving, so realistically they can’t be watching what’s happening further back on the bus.
I’m wondering whether I’m being unreasonable to think that a bus carrying 5-year-olds alongside older children should have some form of adult supervision? She’s my first so fully prepared to be told I’m being precious or over the top.