CHANGES to the rules surrounding teachers being able to drive school minibuses on a car driving licence have been described as a "devastating for schools".
New guidance issued by the Department for Infrastructure to the Education Authority states that teachers must now have a full D1 minibus driving licence and driver certificate of professional competence.
But the Controlled Schools' Support Council (CSSC) last night said the imminent changes are "another blow to schools".
Under current rules, drivers with regular car licences can operate minibuses on a 'not for profit' basis for schools, charities and community transport associations.
But under the new guidance, "anyone who is paid whilst driving, or is driving a minibus as a consequence of their employment, cannot be regarded as a volunteer and must have a D1 licence".
A letter issued to the Education Authority (EA) from the Department of Infrastructure also said: "They will also need the driver certificate of professional competence".
Barry Mulholland from the CSSC has criticised the move and said the "losers in this situation are the children and young people who may now miss out on a wide range of sporting fixtures, educational outings, Duke of Edinburgh trips and other activities".
He said the "next challenge is how to get thousands of teachers trained and licensed to drive minibuses as required under legislation".
Robert Wilson from the Association of School and College Leaders also said: "While our association does, of course, want to ensure the health and safety of everyone, we are gravely concerned with the implications of this decision.
"With school budgets stretched to the limit, the costs of preparing teachers for the full D1 licence will be prohibitive. The only losers in this will, of course, be our young people."
SDLP MLA Justin McNulty said the change will have a huge impact on smaller schools and called on officials to revise the rules.
He said the permanent secretary at the Department of Education, Derek Baker, "admitted that the Department doesn’t know how much these new measures will cost schools".
He added: "This is astonishing and screams of a total breakdown in cooperation between the Department of Infrastructure and the Department of Education".
