Community
17 July, 2025
“These kids deserve better”
THE family of a disabled student has made a plea for change after bus travel times to and from school have blown out to more than three hours each day.
Terang’s Amber-Fay Dixon said she was shocked when she was notified the bus which brings her grandson Izayah-James Dixon home from Hampden P-12 will be delayed from a 4pm return to 5pm from next term.
She said the delay was completely unacceptable after his pick-up in the morning was last year altered from 8.15am to 7.30am.
Ms Dixon said she could not understand how a disabled student could be expected to spend more than three hours on a bus each day to make the 20-minute trip from the family home in Terang to and from the Hampden P-12 senior campus in Cobden.
“I’m horrified – absolutely horrified,” she said.
“That’s an extremely long day for him and I can’t explain to him if I’m too sick he has to travel on the bus for that long.
“It’s only a short trip to Cobden and that’s just far too long – he already gets home exhausted and just wants to curl up and sleep.”
Ms Dixon says she was unable to provide consistent transport for her grandson, who has been under her primary care since he was born, due to respiratory illness which has left her disabled.
“It’s totally unfair in this day-and-age,” she said.
“The reason I was given for the extended time was due to the expanding amount of kids attending the school, but why doesn’t this mean an expanded amount of funding for each of those children?
“Why aren’t they accommodated for travel, especially when they’ve invested so much money in building the new school – but personally, what does it matter if the priorities are wrong?”
Ms Dixon said the travel was made worse for students living with a disability such as Izayah.
He was born deaf and is mute, and struggles with reading, which limits the interactions he can have with his peers and what entertainment is available during such lengthy travel.
“He may be deaf but he’s not stupid – having to sit on the bus for that long every day, unable to communicate with others, is draining,” Ms Dixon said.
The delays will also complicate Izayah’s participation in activities such as out-of-school sport.
“I had started trying to get him into physical activity – he was starting basketball and footy with a respite worker, but he’s supposed to be in Warrnambool by 5pm so that’s out the door,” Ms Dixon said.
“It was getting him away from video games and helping him to become more active, more social, but that that’s going to have to stop.”
Western District Newspapers approached the Department of Education with questions surrounding the process of reviewing and approving the extended travel times and under what grounds, how many routes were operational, how many students rely on the services and if any process existed to protect students with a disability from excessive travel.
A Department of Education spokesperson did not directly answer to questions.
“We work closely with Hampden P-12 to determine the most appropriate travel solutions for students,” the spokesperson said.
“Schools revise the suitability of bus routes in line with the changing demographics and home location of students.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll and Minister for Children and Disability Lizzie Blandthorn were also approached for contact but did not respond prior to publication.
Western District Newspapers also attempted to contact Hampden P-12 for comment but did not receive a response over the school holidays.
Ms Dixon said she hopes the Hampden P-12 and the Victorian Government could arrange for additional transport.
The catchment area for Hampden P-12 extends to areas such as Derrinallum, Mortlake, Garvoc, Nullawarre, Timboon, Port Campbell and Stoneyford, but is only covered by four different bus routes.
Ms Dixon said the students at Hampden P-12 deserved less time on the bus and more time living their lives.
“Izayah is the happiest, most pleasant child you’ll ever meet – there’s nobody that doesn’t love him,” she said.
“He’s a great kid who wants to go to school and wants to learn, they all are, but there’s more and more walls being put up for these kids to access education.”