A group of more than 20 students, parents and supporters held a peaceful protest at St. Thomas Aquinas School in Port au Port East this morning, blocking buses from going to the school.
They lined up with placards are three separate entrances to the school property to carry out the disruption in a protest against the 1.6 km family responsibility zone.
While Bernadette Benoit don’t have any children or grandchildren affected by the 1.6 km rule, she said she was participating in the demonstration because it’s her belief every children to have the right to get to school safely.
“Are they (school board or government) going to wait for a child to die on his/her way to school? Children are safe on the bus,” she said.
Shannon Hoskins said it was a about a decade ago when plans were made to change a pick up point for students to near the bottom of a blind hill in Port au Port East that he made it clear that if someone got hurt or killed the school board or bus contractors wouldn’t have enough money to pay.
“Now they’re trying to enforce this 1.6 km rule so it’s getting to the point where it’s time to protest,” he said.
Al Hawkins, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, issued a prepared statement late Friday that on Oct. 17 the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District and his department undertook a review regarding a courtesy stop inside the 1.6 kilometre zone.
He said that review recently concluded and the district has planned a new courtesy stop procedure to be implemented for St. Thomas Aquinas school.
A Student Transportation Division representative with the school district visited the school on Monday to assess the area and meet with the school principal to determine the most appropriate safe location for the courtesy stop.
Hawkins said the current policy regarding the 1.6 km zone and courtesy seating is comparable, and in many cases, more favourable than other provinces.
However, Laura Hoskins, who organized the demonstration, doesn’t believe the courtesy stops are going to work as it still places small kids on the road instead of being picked up at the end of their driveways.
She’s willing to hear them out and see what’s planned but if parents don’t agree there will likely be further demonstrations.
