Department of Education is hopeful that its ten new buses will arrive on island before the current school year ends, and also hopeful that nine of the buses currently being contracted to a local company for repairs will be back in service soon.

Parents have complained to Samoa News recently about school children having to walk to school because there are not sufficient school buses at this time. One mother said that her heart goes out to the many students she witnessed walking in the hot sun and she wondered what happened to the school bus fleet.

The mother also claimed that she ended up having to take her children to school in her car because the school bus didn’t show up. “I’ve started taking my kids to school to ensure that they get to school instead of waiting for the school bus,” she said.

The issue of school buses was a topic of discussion during a Senate Education Committee hearing last Wednesday, where Education director Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau acknowledged concerns over the shortage of school buses, stressing that the buses serve over 30 public schools — from ECE to high school; as well as all the private schools.

Vaitinasa explained that there are currently just 15 school buses operating, while another nine are with local shops for repairs such as engine overhauls. She added that school buses which require major repairs cannot be handled by the DOE school bus division.

She said DOE has reached out to private companies to fix their buses, which are also used after hours for school activities,and when needed by the government to transport people during special events.

Vaitinasa said that a request for proposal has been issued by the Procurement Office for the purchase of ten new school buses, and the bid process closes on Mar. 25. She is hopeful that these new buses, which are to be purchased with federal money, will arrive on island prior to the end of the current school year.

Sen. Saole Mila said there is no school bus for Aunu’u island and the governor had mentioned a van which could be used for Aunu'u, during a meeting several weeks ago. However, Saole said he is still awaiting the outcome of that meeting and the promised van for Aunu’u students, as many of these students have a long distance to walk to school.

Because there is still no van, Saole said parents are buying bicycles for their children to get to school, but the problem is the safety of these students on the road when there is bad weather. 

Vaitinasa explained that because of the small enrollment, and students living less that a mile from schools serving Aunu’u, Ofu and Olosega, the decision was made to use vans for these students. She said vans are being ordered to serve students for Aunu’u, Ofu and Olosega.

However, Saole said this has been going on too long, it’s been eight months since these discussions with the governor and still no van for use by Aunu’u students. “I am very, very unhappy that this issue has been dragged on too long,” said Saole who reiterated that it is a long distance for Aunu’u students to walk to the school.

Sen. Avegalio Aigamaua said there is a bus stop in front of his home in Leone and he see students waiting for the bus and none arrives. Therefore students end up walking to school, he said, and urged DOE to do all possible to return to service the nine buses being fixed by private vendors.

There was a call by senators for DOE to work on a maintenance plan to ensure that the buses are in good working conditions. Sen. Magalei Logovi’i added that such a maintenance plan should be in place already or before the ten new buses arrive on island.

Magalei revealed that based on a schedule of buses and villages covered by the school buses there is no bus for students from Mapusaga Fou village, but these students attend Tafuna High School. He says students from Mapusaga Fou are paying bus fares on a private aiga bus that takes them from Mapusaga Fou to Tafuna.

At the end of the hearing senators urged DOE to do all possible to make sure that buses are up and running for students, and that DOE comes up with a maintenance plan — if none exists at this point.

BACKGROUND

Samoa News notes that this is not the first time the lack of school bus service for the territory’s students has arisen. When Dr. Claire Poumele was confirmed as DOE director, in 2009 by the Fono, she was asked about the the status of school buses. Poumele responded that there were currently 35 operating buses while about five or six buses were waiting for parts to arrive from off-island. She told the House members at the time, that the good news was that six new buses were expected to arrive the following month.