A south-west family is in shock after being told their 12-year-old daughter will be removed from her school bus and left at a police station unless they pay for her travel.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Opposition leader Mathew Guy asked Premier Daniel Andrews in parliament on Tuesday why the education department had instructed that Warrnambool College year seven pupil Ella Willsher would be removed from her bus and, if no supervision was available, her parents would have to collect her from a police station.
“The Willsher family have eight school-age children, four in primary school and four who attend Warrnambool College,” Mr Guy said.
“Up until this year, all eight children have travelled on the same school bus to and from school each day. However, when their daughter Ella began year seven this year, your government ruled she was no longer entitled to travel on the school bus as she has always done.”
“Premier, how could you and your government be so callous and out of touch as to have this young girl forcibly removed off a school bus and taken to a police station simply because you refuse to apply common sense to help this family?,” Mr Guy asked.
Mr Andrews responded saying he would follow up on the specifics of the case and take action if it was appropriate.
“This is a serious matter and it will be taken seriously by me and my office and we will make further inquiries,” he said.
A spokesman said the government was working with the school and the family “to resolve this issue which is the result of a policy that has been in place for years”.
Under the education department policy Ella is not entitled to fare free bus travel as she does not attend her local government school.
The fee for travel for one year is $480.
Her older siblings continue to receive an exemption from paying the fare, as the policy was incorrectly applied when they first enrolled at the school.
If a child is not eligible for a free bus service, they may access the service by paying a fee, if there is an available seat.
Ella’s father Philip Whillsher said on his daughter’s first day of school at Warrnambool College he had the principal on the phone demanding the $120 a term bus fare.
Under the legislation Ella should go to Terang High School as it is three kilometres closer to the family’s Naringal East house, however the bus stop for that school is four kilometres away.
“She just wants to get on the bus with her brothers and sisters,” he said.
“She cant understand why she has been singled out.”
Mr Willsher said his wife travelled a 60 km round trip every afternoon to collect Ella from school.
Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan called on the state government to immediately review its system.
He said it was resulting in “outrageous and unnecessary stresses for families”.
“The school bus system should not be designed to split up families and cause hardship,” he said.
Port Fairy’s Natasha Hogan is also facing the same issue.
“My fourth child started school this year and suddenly I have to pay $120 per term for him to go to the same school as his older brother,” she said in a letter to The Standard.
“I couldn’t believe it.
“This is affecting many families. This policy has been enforced since 2016 and is affecting a lot of families, it creates anxiety, causes financial hardship and I believe is punitive and discriminatory.”
“This is affecting many families. This policy has been enforced since 2016 and is affecting a lot of families, it creates anxiety, causes financial hardship and I believe is punitive and discriminatory.”
She has started a change.org petition calling on Mr Merlino to change the policy.