The following residents of the ACT draw the attention of the Assembly
Lyons Early Childhood School is a place where everyone belongs. Families are celebrated for their diversity and uniqueness, and everyone is welcome. We choose the school for it's model of inquiry based learning through play, supported by research from neuroscience to NAPLAN.
We are so lucky to have this on offer in the ACT.
Yet families at this amazing little school, which caters for children from birth to year 2, are faced with a big problem. When their eldest child moves to year 3, the siblings need to move schools too. Otherwise the parents need to find a way to be in two places at once - thus far, a feat no one has achieved.
The kids need a solution. They don't want to worry about their parents being late, or feel unsure about whose car they'll be collected in, or whether they've been included in the car pool plans that change regularly. There is always that hanging question "what if they forget", "what if they get sick", or "What if my kids are having a really off day and getting picked up by someone else is just a bridge too far".
Parents constantly feel like they are pushing friendships, asking people they may barely know to take responsibility for, and wait with, their child while they make sure the sibling is safe.
Some families have no choice but to enrol in the already full to bursting out of school hours system - which we know is experiencing an unprecedented staffing and occupancy crisis.
The current public transport route recommendation to walk the half hour, 2.8km distance is not a safe solution for 8 and 9 year old children.
We need help!
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call on the Government to provide a school bus that will reliably, and safely, bring those kids from Hughes to Lyons.