The NASUWT has been campaigning for changes to the Transport Act to make mini-bus operation safer but the government this week rejected the move.
Sections 19 and 22 of the Act set out permit schemes for schools meaning that individuals, including teachers, can drive mini-buses without specialist training and schools are exempt from Operator’s Licence requirements.
The NASUWT campaign argues that this is an unacceptable and dangerous situation which results in tired and already overworked teachers being asked to drive mini-buses, often for long periods or late at night.
Withdrawal of the exemption would mean statutory safeguards on driving, ensuring that all drivers of mini-buses would need to have formal qualifications.
In making its case, the union points to a tragedy that happened 30 years ago.
In 1993, a minibus from Hagley RC High School crashed into another vehicle on the hard shoulder of the M40 near Warwick. Twelve pupils and their teacher died; only two pupils survived.
The reason for the crash is still unresolved. The teacher at the wheel had been working all day, driving all evening, and did not have an Operator’s Licence.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said: “They should never have been put in such a position. Unbelievably, teachers are still expected to carry this burden.
“It is still the case that teachers can do a whole day of teaching pupils and then drive and supervise pupils, sometimes for many hours.”
He continued: “There is no end to the list of responsibilities this government will pile upon teachers. It is dangerous to ask a teacher to drive a mini-bus when they only have a driver’s license. It is doubly dangerous to ask them to drive long distances after they have already completed their working day at school.”
The NASUWT argues that the Section 19 and 22 exemptions for schools were only ever meant to be a stop-gap but are still in place decades after they were introduced. Dr Roach has pledged to continue the campaign.