The Ministry of Education has paused further school bus route reviews and changes this year while its school transport assistance policy is reviewed.

The decision comes after widespread outcry from schools, parents and community leaders, who had concerns about how the eligibility criteria for students using the buses were applied and the potential impact on attendance from cut routes.

The Gisborne Herald reported this month on the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) recent decision to merge five Tairāwhiti routes with nearby ones and to redesign 11 existing routes after a review.

The changes, due to take effect from the beginning of Term 2 on April 20 this year, are among those now on pause nationwide.

MOE school transport group manager James Meffan confirmed the decision to pause the reviews in a statement.

“We are undertaking a review of our school transport assistance policy settings, so any changes are lasting and reflect up-to-date policy settings,” Meffan said.

“Education Minister Erica Stanford has been discussing current transport settings with the ministry for some time and, based on our advice, agreed last week to initiate a policy review.

“We’ll work with schools, communities and transport providers, and we’ll keep people updated on next steps.”

Gisborne Boys’ High School principal Tom Cairns said local schools were “very happy to have been given a reset” on the issue of the buses.

“Clearly, there was a lot of upset, not only in Tairāwhiti, but right across regional New Zealand as the MOE transport management rolled out an archaic ‘closest school policy’ [from 1908],” Cairns said.

“We are thrilled that those with the power to make change have heard us and halted the implementation of a policy that would create a barrier to learning for so many of our students.

“As a network of schools in the region, we have been aligned in having this implementation of an unfit policy halted so that the policy itself could be addressed.”

He said the MOE transport review had not consulted the schools “in any real and transparent manner” and had not consulted parents or the community.

“It did not take into account the social and economic factors that impact our local context. For example, the loss of productivity for rural parents having to transport students to school.

“The review creates an opportunity for MOE to consult with schools and community, to develop a fit-for-purpose policy that distinguishes between the needs of urban and rural settings and meets current and local contexts.”

The ministry statement came the day after a letter sent on Monday by rural leaders, parents, school principals and Gisborne’s mayor called for an “urgent” meeting with Stanford over rural school bus cuts.

Gisborne Herald queries emailed to the minister on Monday were passed on by the minister’s office to the MOE, which responded on Tuesday evening.

The ministry earlier said it needed to apply its policy consistently across the country to ensure fair and efficient allocation of transport funding.

Meffan told the Gisborne Herald at the time that any changes to the school transport eligibility criteria would need to be considered “alongside wider Government commitments and budget decisions”.

The letter sent to Stanford said rural communities to the north, west and south of Gisborne were “in distress” after the earlier decision to reduce some routes.

Former Federated Farmers meat and wool chairman Toby Williams, a parent affected by changes to rural school bus routes, was behind a letter to Education Minister Erica Stanford on Monday. Photo / Supplied

Former Federated Farmers meat and wool chairman Toby Williams decided to send the letter.

He was supported by Cairns, Mayor Rehette Stoltz, Sir Derek Lardelli (Ngāti Konohi, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata), Trust Tairāwhiti CEO Doug Jones (Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Kahungunu), Gisborne-Wairoa Federated Farmers president Charlie Reynolds, Gisborne Girls’ High School principal Bindy Hannah and more.

The Whāngārā farmer has two sons who use a rural school bus to get to Gisborne Boys’ High.

“When I was in Federated Farmers, I probably spent about 18 months working with the ministry and the minister on this issue [rural school buses], trying to get something resolved,” Williams told the Gisborne Herald.

“When your own kids are affected, it suddenly makes it much more personal.”

Reacting to news of the pause on changes, Williams said it was “amazing”.

“My kids, especially, were really relieved and, as the community found out, we’ve had the relief wave roll through. We’re also letting people know that this is a pause, not a full reversal. We’re not going to stay like this forever.”

While he still expected some changes, he hoped the ministry would take into account the views of stakeholders and give time for consultation.

“Without community input and without bus company and school input, you’ve just got a bureaucrat in Wellington who is drawing lines on a map, going, ‘I think a bus route looks pretty good there’.”

“If it needs to change, I have no issue with it changing personally, but let’s make sure it is fit for purpose with modern maps and modern reasoning behind what we are doing.”