I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE BIG BUS MY DAUGHTER TRAVELS ON THE BUS IS NOT RUNNING GOOD AND THERE IS NO SEAT FOR MY CHILD, WHAT HAPPEN IF HE SHOULD MAKE A SUDDEN STOP. AND NO SEAT FOR 1ST FORMER 2ND FORMER IF THEY DO SIT 6TH FORMER TAKE THEM UP. I AM SURE I PAY.

What school?

What school does this bus go to?

PARENT OF HAMPTON.
Why is it the sixth formers have authority to take other children out their seat, and take it.
I think they need to get a different transpotation for the 6th former.

This has been happening longtime,its time for a change. The bus company needs proper busses.

Maybe its Monroe, cause thats what they do the younger ones has to sit in the front they are not allowed to sit in the back on the bus.

HIGH SCHOOL TRANSPOTATION
THE SCHOOL IS HAMPTON, I THINK THE HEAD OF THE TRANSPOTATION OF HAMPTON NEEDS TO TAKE THIS SERIOUS, WE ARE GO TO HAVE DEATH AND OTHER SERIOUS CASES. WE NEED HELP FOR OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD.

its not munro collage, that causes it, its the 6th former who come back for two extra years, so the new commers, get all those bad treatment.
the radio station needs to know about this and the ministry of education, the system is slack

MY SISTER IS GOING TO HAMPTON AND SHE ALWAYS COMES HOME SAYING HOW THE 6TH FORMERS ALWAYS GET SEATS AND THE YOUNGER ONE'S CAN'T GET ANY ONLY WHEN THEY GET OFF THE BUS. SHE LEAVE'S VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN THE BUS IS GOING DOWN TO TREASURE BEACH TO GET A SEAT BUT BY THE TIME THE BUS IS TO COME BACK OVER THE HILL SHE'S STANDING OR SITTING IN SOMEONE'S LAP...ITS VERY BAD BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH MONEY AND THERE ISN'T NO WHERE TO SIT. THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS ITS BOTH SAD AND BAD.

i have a son who goes to munroe, im living here in the u.k and it isn't easy to work in the snow and the rain to send my son there and he can't get a seat to sit in. everytime i talk to him, he's always tell me how the 6th formers get seats to sit in and they can't. Everyone who's traveling on that bus is paying for the service so they should get tried like that.its a disgrace.

This is being happening for a long time on the buses of Hampton and Monroe, and its really time for a change. It's not fear for the younger ones we are all equal and free to sit where ever one want to sit. People lets not go back to slavery.

I would agree there should be enough seats for all on the bus and certainly well maintained vehicles, but as far as the older children bullying the younger ones and getting the "better" seats, whether right or wrong doesn't that happen all over the world in all schools? Sort of a rite of passage.

I remember being bullied by the older kids when I was in school and that was over 30 years ago in a small farm town in Massachusetts. And, in turn, probably did the same bullying when I was the older kid. Not sure anything can be done about that other than having a monitor on every bus - and goodness knows I would not want that job.

parents contact the bus company, the schools and the ministry. Bombard them with phone calls and letters. if necessary everyone keep their children home for one day to show the bus the monetary impact that a boycott could have...it worked for Martin Luther King Jr. or collectively organize an alternative means of transport for ALL of the younder children. Now that you have vented your frustrations...translate them into some sort of positive action

This does not happen all over the world. Children will push their luck, we, as parents, should teach them to take care of the younger ones. As a matter of fact, where I am now living, a school bus will not drive off until the children are seated. We should not allow more children on the bus than the number of seats. More busses should be on the road to take the children. My daughter used to attend Hampton and it was a night mere! Thank God, I no longer have to use that bus service. There should be some kind of order on the bus. The driver should not allow bullying. Again, where I am now living, my son, as a student, used to be the 'bus patrole" He would also wear a badge for identification. He would maintain order on the bus and report to the principal. Every term another student would take turn.......maybe this would help.

Hampton hardly ever condones it but if you are having a problem then arrange to have your children transported privately. I know what it is like to have stood in those buses and I can tell you that it is no easy feat as some of these drivers are very reckless in their driving practises. The bus system needs some amount of reforming, but it also needs to be taken into consideration the amount of money it will take to provide more buses. These buses are chartered, and if the company has to purchase more buses, they will undoubtedly increase the fees by a large percentage. I really pity these students, because I remember my first day in first form I sat down in an empty seat towards the back of the bus and upon reaching Cross Roads I was promptly asked to vacate the seat by a sixth former. Parents have spoken aboutt this in numerous PTA meetings, a new approach needs to be tried. Some of these buses are also very unreliable, my first day of school the bus broke down on Chelsea Hill and the last day of school it also broke down on the very same hill, How eventful...
Hampton and Munro are two good schools, during my final year I saw where changes were made to the bus system to ensure that students got a seat, it was a ritual-'if you sit in the morning you know therefore that you shouldn't sit in the evening'.
Parents please do contact the school in this regard, if needs be then speak with the PTA and get petitions signed if that doesnt work you can always boycott the school's bus system.
SUMMA VIRTUTE ET HUMANITATE

I do not have any children travelling on that "BUS" but, this is what I think. Why not call a "parent meeting" seeing most of the children are from the same or surrounding areas.
Get together please and try to solve this "Bullying". I live in the US and too many times over we see what tragedy takes place in schools/colleges all because of one child being (bullied)
THE PARENTS HAVE TO STEP UP AND TAKE CHARGE.
EVERY PARENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OR HER CHILD BEHAVIOUR AS LONG AS THEY LIVE UNDER YOUR ROOF.

Yep that seating problem has always been an issue on those school buses to Hampton and STETHS. It is really time for someone to look into this.

This is simply a tradition, and if parents have an issue why not take it up when there is a PTA. I attended Hampton for 7years and it wasn't until my last two years that I was able to be seated. Parents should also note that there are times when their children actually gives up a seat to stand because they prefer to do so. As for seating arrangements, Senior students (4th-6th form) sits in the back while junior students sit in front.

I am not saying you should pay your money for your child to stand, but at the same time you are guaranteed that your child will be transported to and from school even if the bus assigned to that route is not working compared to the unreliability of the taxi operators used by other schools

hooked on TB,
i have thought about staying home for a day and see what will happen,but when i look at it ,i can't aford to miss a day.

marekei,
all student have to travel on the bus.You can not come to school in a private car or any other means of transportation.

old girl,
the parents are tired of going to PTA meetings and bringing up the issue.whats the use.all you can hear is TRADITION,TRADITION,TRADITION.

I HOPE I LIVE TO GRADUATE.
WE NEED HELP!

I am a former student of Munro College. This post is not to say that the system should not be improved, but we need to be aware of the facts. For small price that is paid for transportation, surely it is not expected that they will be able to provide enough buses so that everyone can sit. The option is to use the service of taxis where 4 maybe 5 persons will be cramped up in the back and 2 persons in the front which is very unsafe not to mention illegal. Seats are allocated to each grade, if the seats are all occupied then whats so hard in standing. I stood for most of my first year at Munro, but you just have to get over it. If a better bus system is desired, then i think it is only fair that parents be prepared for the hike in costs. Also I cant recall in my 7 years at Munro where any student or either Munro or Hampton has been killed or injured, however, there have been many accidents involving students of other schools being transported in taxis.

WE NEED TO MEET WITH MR WRIGHT, WE NEED HIS NUMBER. OUR CHILDREN LIVES IS IN YOUR HAND,I AM WRITING THIS WITH TEARS IN MY EYES.

......I stood for most of my 5 years at Munro " does not mean that this should continue to happen. this is not the right thing, so we need to break this habit. How about the kids who sit today, stand tomorrow and those who stand tomorrow, sit the next day. This would at least, give all the students their fair share. This would also foster a change. Jamaica is a beautiful place and we need to take more care of our children. We need to show them that we care about them, when they are adult, they will foster this caring way as well.

No one should have to stand on a rolling bus for that length of time. Didn't you all read the articles re the "Good Ole days"? I am hoping the drivers are more patient that back in the day because we are dealing with precious lives.
Parents/Guardians/Citizens, we have to rally together to get help for our children. Let's get started NOW!!!

Whoever is using this forum to advocate for a boycott or whatever, is talking foolishness, and to think that the Administrators have authorized such is beyond me. These parents need to use the right medium - check it out half of these parents don't go to Parent Teachers Meetings.
Also, it is not good to grow up your children 'puney-puney'.
When we were going to school and the bus break down we had to jolly well walk come home from Hampton or Munro to TB. Now another bus comes for the students if this is the case.
To me this is making a mountain out of a mole hill - if the parents don't want their children to stand well arrange for a private driver. This problem seems like a minority - probably 2 or 3 parents. What is standing for 1/2 hour each morning on a jolly bus - sounds exciting to me!!

Dear Jolly Bus, I couldn't agree with you more. I too, experienced standing on the bus during my first and second years, even my 3rd year. The ratio of students to seats just don't mesh out. It's just like taking public transportation, somebody will have to stand. Didn't we all pay for the ride?

The bus is segmented into a seating order. The extreme front seats are for the 1st formers then the 2nd formers, 3rd formers on to the extreme back for the 6th formers. There must be some form of order on the bus just as in life.

Can you imagine a 6th former (5 years under his belt) sitting at the back of the bus shoulder to shoulder with a first former (zero years under his belt). That is just not gonna happen.

When I started Munro in 1990 I use to travel on a transit bus, the driver was Mr. Facey, God rest his soul. We had to stand holding on to the seats and hunching over with our heads hitting the top of the bus as there were not enough seats to go around. We were happy to get to school because the only other options were your parents driving you or hitch hiking and walking.

Our school was over at 3:10pm and many evenings our ride came to take us home at 5, 6 or even 7 pm. This built character in many of us. Never take anything for granted.

Now, these kids have a large bus coming for them, in the mornings and taking them home each evening like clock work, plus they can stand upright but this is still not enough. Even if all children were sitting they would still find something to complain about as this is the nature of humans. Especially spoilt ones, Mmhhhhh.

Definately no to bullies but kids need to follow the order that has been set for years. Know your roles.

I don't mean to seem callous or uncaring but, with due respect to the concerned parents here, this is tradition. The juniors always sat in the front of the bus, while the back was strictly reserved for the seniors.
If you think this is cause for alarm, you should see what goes on in the dormitories when prefects and seniors are in charge. Nobody complained much because we all understood that this was a rite of passage, and that one day we'd also get our turn at bat.

I think a lot of you are missing the real problem here.
The concern is "BULLYING".
(STOP IT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT)
Why can't the older children make it their duty to help protect the little ones.Just pretend it is your little sister or brother.
Believe me if you show some compassion and love it will follow you and make you a better person in your adult years.
Like the saying goes "give a little get a lot".
I was bullied when I was going to school. I was called names but, you know what as much as it hurt then I loved school and because I was brought up in a christain home I knew how to pray and God must have been there for me because, I made it and today I can (laught at the ones that bullied me because they are right where they started.

It seems to me after reading all these posts that there are two discussion going on here.

One is about safety of children standing on buses, whether they be 1st form or 6th form.

The other is knowing that there are a limited number of seats, should older students be allowed to take the seat of a younger one.

Now I don't have a dog in this hunt so I'm not going to give an opinion on the two issues. But I do think it is helpful to know what the arguments are.

-Eric

Jolly bus,
whats the use going to PTA meetings when nobody is doing any thing about it?Incase you did not know,a lot of damage can be done in less than half an hour.It might sound exciting to you, but it pain for those who have to do it 2 time per day,for 5 long days a week.
K.D.Cam,
the parents are willing to pay more and have their Hamptonians and munronians seated both to and from school.

SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE STUDENT WHO ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING,ITS SO SAD TO SEE THAT THEY HAVE TO BE TRAVELLING ON THOSE BIG,OLD,SMOKING,NOISEY,AIR POLLUTING THING THAT THEY CALLED BUSSES.AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED THOSE ARE NO WHERE NEER BUSSES.ITS SO SAD TO SAY.

I agree with Cage, this will only build character and prepare our children for what they will face later on in life. In a lot of life's issues seniority plays a huge part in how we accomplish. I was totally shocked that a child standing on the bus to get to school is being made into such a big issue. I went to Hampton long before any of these children were born and those days were hard, I used to walk for miles to make it to the nearest bus point. This prepared me in many ways for life and taught me to play the deck that I am dealt and play to win. I would just like to say that my only expectations of both schools is that they prepare the children for the high grades that we have come to expect. Complaining about small issues is not positive, there has so far, thank God, been a fairly safe record over the years. If we only knew the lessons we teach our children by ensuring that they learn to be gracious and humble, these will take them the last mile of the way, and isn't that what we all hope for them to achieve?

Jolly bus,i don't think the students are going to school on those busses for a jolly ride.To me i think you should change jolly ride to DANGEROUS ride.


SOCORRO! SOCORRO!(HELP)
THEY NEED HELP TO GET NEW BUSSES.

Standing or sitting (big ones please take care of the little ones). That is all I have to say.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONDITION OF THE BUS THEN THAT IS A DIFFERENT SUBJECT MATTER.
WHO IS IN CHARGE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN YOUR COUNTRY.WHAT ABOUT THE SCHOOLS DO THEY PAY ANY ATTENTION AS TO HOW THEIR STUDENTS ARE BEING TRANSPORTED DAILY.
SOMEONE SHOULD BRING IT TO THEIR ATTENTION.

If possible , maybe you should all think of hiring or contracting other buses to take the students to school.I'm sure there are other bus owners who might be quite happy to take up the offer.Jus my quatty wut.

Well said Cage,K.D.Cam,Old Hamptonian this is part of their training,grubs will be grubs and if this is too much Newell is much closer and probably much more comfortable travelling in a taxi.Quit complaining about minor issues and tell us about the education your child is getting.

BWOY IT RUFF BUT MI USE TO STAN UP IN A PAPA BUS FI GO A SKOOL AN MI DID GLAD FI REACH DEH IT HOT BUT HUSH THERE IS A LOT OF KIDS WHO TRAVELD ON THE BUS SOME WOULD HAVE TO STAND BUT THE BULLING MI NUH EN A THAT I DONT LIKE BULLY

WE NEED A CHANGE IN THE BUST SYSTEM AT HAMPTON AND MUNRO, IT NOT FREE WE ARE PAYING FOR IT. I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS AT HAMPTON AND ONE SON AT MUNRO WHAT IF THE BUS SHOULD OVERTURN WITH MY 3 CHILDREN I COULD LOOSE ALL 3 BECAUSE SOMETIMES ALL 3 IS ON THE 1 BUS. COME ON PEOPLE BE FAIR, DONT BE LIKE THAT WE NEED GOOD BUSSES.

What government should do is to pass a law that children should not stand in school bus. this would require extra busses on the road, but Jamaica is looking as promising as ever. Somewhere along the line, the government and parents can get those busses. This is all about the safety of our children, not about grubs. The older children should also set example and give the younger children the seats. They should show kindness and compassion for the younger children. If we, as parents, enforce this in our children, the future of Jamaica would be better with us showing respect to our fellowman. Starting here, we would have more respect for human lives.

yes foreigner, i most say i strongly commend you for those word, those words you said is just about a few paragraph and it sounds like a book,i
support you 100%.

Foreigner,you have hit several nails on their heads. Regarding, the busses; safety is what is important! Safety of ALL the children. Laws safeguarding the older and younger students as they travel on these buses. Neither should be subject to standing while the bus is in motion, and the buses should be equipped with and students made to use sealt belts. Overwhelming research into vehicular accidents prove this to be fact. Let's not indulge in thinking about anything other than safety for all.
Secondly, on a separate but related note; Jamaica will benefit from more compassionate treatment of children. The idea that you want tough children who aren't "punney punney" can lead to callousness and disregard for the value of human life, lack of compassion and emphathy which is what is contributing to the viciousness in some of the crimes that are plaguing Jamaica. We, citizens of the world, must model love, compassion, empathy, peace and justice for our children so that they may grow to be adults that value life, theirs and others.

If only we could all live in a utopic world where there were enough buses and children did not have to stand; a world where we would love one another, a world where we model compassion, empathy, peace and justice. Unfortunately, this is the real world and these injustices exist and we have to find ways to deal with them and to teach our children how to be strong when they are faced with adversity. Utopia, sadly does not exist in the real world. The problems are bound to come, but how we deal with these problems will only make us stronger.

Empathy, compassion, peace and justice are not uptopic, they are the bases of humanity regardless of where you live, your gender, socio-economics. It's innately human until someone teaches you otherwise.

I agree with both Old Hamptonian and Alice but the former is being pragmatic. There are so many things we'd like to have in so many ideal ways, but come on, let's get real. Both Munro and Hampton have produced fine citizens, and it wasn't because they weren't subjected to all the traditional forms of hazing etc that have existed for so long. Much ado about little I say.

can someone get intouch with the owner of these busse who take hampton and munro students. we would like to meet with him at the school before the school terms end, so we can have good things for the next school year. does anyone know where he located.

I actually remember having to fight someone to stay in my seat. He was only a year older and already talking about being respected.In the end both of us were standing, but it was worth it to show that I will stand up for myself. I didn't give up my seat after that to anyone.

Today, there was a news report that a bus carrying mostly children to school had an accident in which 45 are dead, mostly children in India. I thought about how this tragedy is germaine to this topic. It's sad and an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure. So parents who are concerned for their children, work collectively to make travel safer for your children.

yes coppa and alice, i read carefully what you both said and i can see where you both are concern, not like some people who are looking back down the street, improvemnt is what we want.
and taking care of our children lives seriously.
thank you both.

Come on Treasure Beach "Stand up for your children's safety".
Get the ball rolling by coming together and write letters to the Ministry of Transportation if you all feel the same way about the "BUS".
If the children are as bright as we think they should be then let them do the writing.
Seriously now, let them do it. No one should be offended by them doing that.In the long run they might even receive thanks from the owner himself.
Sometimes just one child can make a vast difference.

I am totally against bullying on the bus. However if parents are complaining about their children standing then this to me is not a problem - unless he or she is not feeling well. One must understand that it's the same size bus that used to run years aback and now the student population has grown tremendously.

My take is that if students are being bullied they should report it to the person incharge of transportation at their school.

But let us not baby our children, it is not as bad as we are making it out to be. This occurence is not a major one. It can be reported and the students reprimanded.

Parents can also take this bullying complaint to the Principal who I think will be more proactive if this is done as a body and not individually. A Parent Representative would go to the Principal with a petition (Parents and students signatures).

But do not stay in your corner and cry or make noise - use the proper channel.

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thank you justin

I have stood aside and watched this thread and bit my tongue quite a bit. Some of what I say might not be appreciated but I travelled from Lititz to Munro from 4th form through Lower sixth on the school bus.

The "grubbing" as we called it did occur in that time too, but not as much as my first 4 years as a boarder on the campus.

I was "grubbed" and in fifth and sixth form I "grubbed"

If I were to go back in time and select an option to be "grubbed" or not. would I choose to be "grubbed"? The answer is yes I would.

Back in our days the "grubbing" was not threatening to health or physical harm and if the line was crossed, prefects and/or House Masters would step in.

I believe that part of the Munro Institution is earning Heirachy and possibly why so many top business and political figures emerged from that great school.

I had to stand, when the upper form boys and girls from Hampton came on the bus even though I was first on the bus in the mornings,

The lower forms got up out of the seats and relinquished and even saved seats for upper forms. The girls, we would offer the seats to, because we were taught to relinquish our seats to the girls as a form of courtesy to the opposite sex.

When I went to 5th form, I did not earn the very back seat, but I escalated to the second to last row. That to me was a personal achievement, that I strived for and looking back at it now, I considered the whole experience Fun and a learning experience.
Fun in that it was all in fun and the Learning experience is that todays world throws you much more curve balls than the seating arrangement on a bus and because I was able to deal with it back then, I can now face much bigger challenges in THE REAL WORLD which is not as kind.

Hey there everyone, i can all sympathize with you but here's what i think.
First of all i am currently a third former at hampton and i've been through the arguments as well but the thing is eventually you get over it..
When i was in first form i stood EVERY evening.. second form every now a then .. and now in third hardly. The point is it gets better.i know that when i am in fifth and sixth no one can get my seat so there!
it seems to me that all the past students see this as something that is just to be done.( it is a hampton/munro experience!)They have no problem so why should we fret?
And there is NO bullying on My bus or humpfrey's (munro bus driver). i think that if this wasn't done we wouldn't learn from life, it is a stepping stone to life.
P.S. I Love it that even the boys can learn to be gentlemen by standing for the girls!

Can Someone please explain the definition of "Grubbing" while riding on a bus."SOUNDS A BIT STRANGE"

44 people, mainly children, drown in India bus crash: police
2 days ago

BAMROLI, India (AFP) — At least 44 people, nearly all children heading to school for final exams, drowned on Wednesday when their bus plunged off a bridge into a canal in western India, police said.

Distraught parents rushed to the scene of the disaster in Gujarat state as rescue workers struggled to find survivors in the water and a huge crane was used to haul the smashed vehicle out of the Narmada canal.

The accident in Bodeli, 170 kilometres (105 miles) from Ahmedabad, the state's main commercial city, was Gujarat's worst-ever road accident, local media reports said, as police said the death toll could rise.

Thirty-two girls, nine boys, the driver and the bus conductor, besides an unidentified woman passenger died in the early morning accident which occurred when the bus veered off the road and smashed through a concrete barrier.

The children -- aged 13 to 15 -- were travelling to school to take final exams, Gujarat state transport official G.M. Aloriya told NDTV news channel.

Wailing parents of 15 of the dead -- all girls from the same village of Bamroli close to the accident site -- carried their children's bodies to the cremation ground late on Wednesday for one of several mass funerals for the victims.

Parents emerged from their houses carrying their daughters on wooden biers as the funeral procession wound slowly through Bamroli village to the cremation ground and stores downed their shutters as a mark of respect.

The dead girls were dressed in red and pink saris to signify their unmarried status.

Parents shielded the bodies from the hot sun with black umbrellas.

"Forty-four bodies have been fished out of the canal" which was 60 feet (18 metres) deep, said police officer M.S. Bhabhor, who was supervising the emergency rescue operations.

The death toll could increase as some bodies might have been washed away, he said.

It was not immediately known how many passengers were in the bus but some local media reports said the figure could be more than 60.

"The driver seems to have lost control and the bus broke through a protective railing, plunging into the canal," Bhabhor said.

"We're still investigating what caused the driver to lose control of the bus," he said.

Two boys, who swam to safety, alerted villagers that the bus had fallen into the canal, witnesses said.

Rescuers fished the bodies from the water. The bodies were laid out in rows by the canal under white sheets where grief-stricken parents identified them.

The Gujarat government, which announced compensation of 100,000 rupees (2,500 dollars) for the families of the dead, said it would hold a high-level inquiry into the cause of the accident.

I have posted the above article which was reported by NDTV.com
I can fully respect traditions but this is more than traditions, it is about safety of the older and younger children.

yes maurhar, its not about grubbibg, its about our childrens life here. And take into consideration how much is the bus insured to take, come on man.(high student)

I have had cramped feet, shaky knees and you name it from standing on the bus but it is sort of a right of passage. The ones who take us out of our seats had the same thing done to them. I do agree that this should not go on because life is all about change. However, the little money we pay for transportation on those buses will go up if change is what we want. My mother is not prepared to pay more money so that is where I make the sacrifice and stand. It is not really that bad either because there is a system where you sit in the morning stand in the evening or vice versa. I can live with it and I bet when your first former son or daughter reaches sixth form they will not consider the younger students because they themselves will be sitting comfortably.

Hamptonian,I have no idea what you are talking about,"those who stand in the morning sit in the evening."I travel on the bus everyday and i don't see that happening.You must be on another bus from me.

We've been seeing increasingly negative and nasty comments being posted in this thread which we've had to delete.

Since there are no new facts being proposed on the subject, it's time to close this section to comments.

Thank you for your understanding and we appreciate your continued support of positive and informative messages in this forum.

TBNet