to think bus drivers with young or SEN children should check the bus

[Notevilstepmother]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-bristol-42832690?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5a737282655519064b8e5d21%26Boy%20with%20Down%27s%20Syndrome%20left%20alone%20on%20school%20bus%20for%20six%20hours%26&ns_fee=0#post_5a737282655519064b8e5d21

Poor baby, he can’t talk and can’t undo his own seatbelt and he spent the whole school day sat in a parked bus with no one knowing he was missing.

You might need to scroll down to see the article the link isn’t working properly for me.

What? I don't live in the uk so I don't know the rules but where I live children need to have at least one adult other than the driver on the bus, that sorts out seat belts and makes sure they're met from the bus. Even those little mini buses have an extra adult. I would think that would be common sense, especially with sen childen!

Of course YANBU! Nobody could accuse you of BU for thinking this, surely?

link

It is a special school so there would usually be an escort. At my son's special school they always ring home if a child doesn't arrive so I am surprised that didn't happen here. It does say there is a police investigation so it is being taken very seriously.

Surely it would be common sense for all bus drivers to check the bus at the end, regardless of who had been on it? It's only a quick walk down the bus and back - 60 seconds tops for a full-sized bus if you're checking under the seats too (for lost property etc.). How can that be a, too much to expect and b, not part of the job description?

"At my son's special school they always ring home if a child doesn't arrive so I am surprised that didn't happen here."

I read in an article somewhere else that the mum did receive a text to say her son was absent from school that day, but she shrugged it off as a mix-up and didn't chase it up.

Seems to have been a perfect storm of several adults not paying due attention. Poor kid.

I read this as the parent of a non verbal seven year old with autism and learning disabilities its horrifying , but where was the escort and why did no one realise my son is picked up and dropped off everyday in a mini bus and school staff help the children off the bus surely somone would realise ? Poor little boy

They are very lucky no harm came to him I know if this was my son he would have tried to get out these children are so vulnerable .

I don't think the bus driver is the only one to blame here.

A lot of sen kids have passenger assistants, if so in this case, they are most at fault.
Should schools really be texting about absence for young/vulnerable children? I think this is a very questionable practice and quite inappropriate.
The parent is also at fault for not chasing up the text. Wtf!

Poor kid

The story I read was that the child had been off sick the day before so the mum assumed it was a late text but yes it's not just the drivers fault , there should have been at least one escort and at my son's special school (at least) the school staff help get the children off the bus .

I just think so soon after a similar incident it would have been on people’s minds.

A little boy in Scotland had something similar on the way home a couple of months ago if I remember rightly.

At least he could get out and talk, this one can’t even talk about how scary it was in any more detail than to say he was sad.

I’m quite cynical and harsh even but this got to me.

It's happened before. Read an article about a girl it happened too. Bus driver and escorts were sacked

They should always check. Regardless of who's on it

The boy was off school the day before, when the mother received the text she thought it was just a old message from the day before (re sent) so shrugged it off.

Apparently this happens quite a lot.

My daughter attends a sn school and has transport, she does not have an escort but only shares transport with one other child.

I don’t understand why children are not checked off on a list whilst getting on and off a bus?

It doesn't bear thinking about my son would be terrified and he would try and get out I can't imagine what state he would be in after six hours

It's just lucky it wasn't a hot sunny day

Of course yanbu if he was my son I'd be so upset.

My daughter who has ASD and other difficulties, goes by provided transport to her special school. There is an escort in the back, I cannot imagine this type of thing happening on that bus. They seem really organised.

That link takes me to an 80year old gruesome murder

How could you just shrug off a text telling you your child was absent from school? She certainly contributed to what happened (hugely) by not confirming her "assumption" that the school had got it wrong. Idiot.

Perhaps the school has form on late texts although if I had got one I would have phoned the school because I would have worried there may have been an accident on the way to school.
There apparently was an escort on the minibus. How the hell did they manage to let this happen.