Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Northland schools hit by bus route cuts, students face dangerous walks

Yolisa Tswanya
Yolisa Tswanya
Deputy news director·Northern Advocate·
9 Feb, 2025 05:16 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Changes to school bus routes in Northland have sparked concerns and disappointment among parents and educators.

Changes to school bus routes in Northland have sparked concerns and disappointment among parents and educators.

Bus route changes affecting at least seven Northland schools could mean students may have to navigate long, dangerous walks to school.

The Ministry of Education announced revised routes after a regular nationwide audit of school bus services identified routes with low use.

In the review some schools had their services cancelled while others were shortened or extended.

One of the affected schools, Whangaroa College, had its service reduced, leaving 24 students having to find alternate ways to get to school.

Principal Jack Anderson said the change was ministry policy and there was nothing the college could do about it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“We have expressed our concerns to the Ministry of Education before and there was no favourable outcome for us.”

Anderson said some students were now relying on parents and other family to get to school, or they were having to walk.

“We are concerned, especially about those walking as they have to walk along the main highway, State Highway 10. Traffic can move quickly in those areas.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Anderson said weather was also a concern and there may be a wider impact in winter.

Whangaroa resident Karina Newport said while her child was not yet at the college, she believed the decision was disappointing and would affect many families.

“At the end of the day, it’s about the safety of our kids. I have a stepdaughter who is 13 and there is no way in the world I would let her walk to school these days.”

Newport said the change did not seem fair for working families who could not take their kids to and from school.

Another resident, Karen Smith, encouraged parents to speak up about what she considered a “ridiculous” change.

“It’s a dangerous route to walk. There is also the danger of the weather. It gets really hot in summer and in winter you can guarantee there will be flooding, and that is a long walk, especially for a 5-year-old.

“Most parents travel about 30km to work and have to be there early, they can’t take their kids to school.

“It’s up to the parents to stand up, put your voice forward, it’s no use not making it official.”

MoE group manager for school transport James Meffan said eligible students affected by a route change may be able to apply for a conveyance allowance to assist with their transport costs.

“We encourage schools who have had services cancelled or curtailed to reach out to us if there is any change in their eligible student numbers or locations.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Meffan said the ministry trusted that parents would prioritise their children’s education and “meet their obligation to access education”.

“Attending school regularly is fundamental to achieving positive educational and life outcomes and there is a well-established relationship between attendance and student attainment and supporting their social, cultural and mental wellbeing.”



Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Rotary clubs raise $58k for rescue helicopter lifesaving gear

14 Sep 11:00 PM
Northern Advocate

Are you in the right industry? The Kiwi jobs where the median wage is over $100k

14 Sep 09:03 PM
Northern Advocate
|Updated

Food rescue milestone: Northland charity delivers 1m kg of kai to hungry homes

14 Sep 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Rotary clubs raise $58k for rescue helicopter lifesaving gear
Northern Advocate

Rotary clubs raise $58k for rescue helicopter lifesaving gear

The $58,000 raised will fund a lifesaving Hamilton T1 ventilator.

14 Sep 11:00 PM
Are you in the right industry? The Kiwi jobs where the median wage is over $100k
Northern Advocate

Are you in the right industry? The Kiwi jobs where the median wage is over $100k

14 Sep 09:03 PM
Food rescue milestone: Northland charity delivers 1m kg of kai to hungry homes
Northern Advocate
|Updated

Food rescue milestone: Northland charity delivers 1m kg of kai to hungry homes

14 Sep 05:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP