I am writing to advise of several issues regarding some of the St Edmund’s students at the Queanbeyan Interchange. I will specifically outline the situation that occurred last Thursday morning (24th February 2022).
There are three designated buses that collect students of a morning from the Queanbeyan Interchange to bring them to the College. Two of these buses are due to depart at 8:20am. The third bus is allocated to collect the later students who may be travelling in from Karabar and Bungendore. This last bus is due to leave the Interchange at 8:25am.
Of late, a large number of our students are refusing to get on the two earlier buses even when encouraged by the drivers to do so. The first two buses lately have only had between 20 and 30 students on them and the drivers have been idling for several minutes to try and encourage other students who are hanging around to get on. As a result, of students refusing to get on the two earlier buses, the final bus ends up being overcrowded and then some students are not able to get on. Another impact of this matter, is that the Primary school students from St Bede’s and Red Hill are being forced to stand up on this overcrowded bus, rather than our boys giving them seats. For the Primary School students, this is the only bus they can get to their destination.
Last Thursday morning, QC bus company made the decision to send all three buses at the same time. Unfortunately, 15 students still refused to get on the first two buses, even with the drivers encouraging them to get on the bus. This resulted in a number of students not being able to get on the third bus.
General public transport behaviour
Disappointingly there are numerous other behaviours that members of the public are contacting the College about including the use of loud music on the bus, foul language, rubbish being left everywhere, inappropriate gestures out windows, harassment of other students, mucking around with shopping trolleys at the interchange and the list goes on. When we identify the students involved, it is easy for us to manage the situation, however there is too much of this behavior going on in general and different students involved each time. It is not a great reflection on our College community and it is disappointing as not all students are involved and this lets the students who are doing the right thing down.
We are asking for our parent and guardian community to have conversations with their children regarding the following issues:
- Bus drivers have a huge responsibility to keep passengers safe whilst driving and when there are distractions on the bus, this makes their job extremely difficult.
- The public and all students have the right to travel in safety and calmness each morning and afternoon.
- When our young men are in a group, there is an even greater need for them to be aware of their surroundings and other people and act in a manner that is respectful of others at all times.
- It is a privilege to have free transport to and from school and should not be taken for granted.
- The boys are representing the College at all times when in uniform and when they act inappropriately, the College is brought into disrepute.
We understand that there are other students from other schools involved in this kind of behavior as well, however our focus is on developing respectful, polite and great young men here at St Edmund’s.
If negative behaviours continue, individuals found to be in breach of the expectations of the College and that of the bus company’s Code of Conduct, will have their privilege to travel on Public transport removed and the College will also follow up with further consequences.
Monica Day
Assistant Principal – Student Wellbeing