AQW 33816/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 17/10/2025
Answered On Date: 27/10/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the work his Department has undertaken to increase the safety of children on their journey to school, since the beginning of the 2022-27 Assembly mandate.

Answer:

I consider the safety of pupils travelling to and from school of paramount importance. I am keen to explore any measures that my department or the Education Authority (EA) could introduce to improve the safety of school children and I met with the Minister for Infrastructure and the EA at the start of September to discuss this issue. We reviewed the current safety measures on school buses, such as special lighting that alerts other motorists to exercise caution. We discussed ways to refresh and reinforce this messaging and the EA has used its social media channels to draw attention to the ‘Jack and Jill’ lights on its buses and their purpose to alert drivers that children are getting on or off the bus.

I am committed to working with partner agencies to further inform the development of policy and legislation surrounding transport of children to school and my Department participates at a senior level in the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) led Road Safety Strategic Forum. This forum brings different Departments and road safety partners together to consider actions and ensure the delivery of the Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy to 2030.

The EA operational responsibility for the delivery of school transport lies with the EA. It is also committed to working with partner agencies and it supports DfI and Translink’s road safety campaigns by encouraging schools to follow the DfI road safety guidance available online, offering additional Safe School Transport information on its website and it regularly shares safety information through its social media channels. The EA recently produced an educational video for pupils with special educational needs who travel on EA buses which highlights ways in which they can be safe on their journey to school and the importance of using seatbelts. Special Educational Needs (SEN) Transport Information and FAQ’s | Education Authority Northern Ireland

Road safety education provision within schools also has an important role in developing children and young people’s attitudes and behaviours to become safer road users and the school curriculum provides opportunities for teachers to cover the issue of road safety at primary and post-primary level.