To ask the Minister of Education to detail any plans his Department has to ensure school transport arrangements begin from when the school term starts, and not the arbitrary date of 1 September.

I should explain that my Department is responsible for the Home to School Transport Policy and the Education Authority (EA) for the operation and delivery of school transport.

The EA has no plans to make changes to the operational transport arrangements to accommodate schools who choose to commence the new school year before the 1st of September. The school transport service provides transport assistance to over 90,000 pupils each day and it is not logistically feasible to accommodate variable school start dates or the phasing-in arrangements that schools may put in place.

Individual schools are responsible for determining their own calendar, however the EA writes to each school in February/March to advise them of the non-operational dates for the following academic year and that home to school transport provision does not commence until 1st September. Schools are informed by the EA that if they decide to open on a non-operational date, they must make parents aware that home to school transport may not be accessible. Further information on non-operational dates can be found on the EA website at Non-operational Dates 2024/25 | Education Authority Northern Ireland (eani.org.uk)

I hope that you find this information helpful.