There are plenty of reasonable causes to discipline students on school buses, such as bullying, changing seats or standing up while the school bus is in motion, and being a disruption. But, I bet you’ve never heard of a student being disciplined for reading on their daily trips to and from school, until now.
A school bus driver in Canada recently banned students from reading on his bus, after disciplining 8-year-old student Sarah Auger for attempting to enjoy a book while onboard the vehicle. The driver says he felt a student with a book out could entice other students to stand up, which could be dangerous.
Surprisingly, the school board is standing behind the school bus driver despite his questionable reasoning for making students put away the books.
“Obviously, the school board concedes that reading a book is not a danger,” the school board said in a statement issued Tuesday. However, the board says it is supporting the 40-year veteran driver. It said, “the driver is in charge of his vehicle,” and “a school bus driver’s responsibility is to transport students safely.”
The board also noted that buses make frequent and occasionally sudden stops.
“Any object, be it a book, a toy or electronic device can be a potential danger when a young child … gets up to go and get it while the bus is in motion.”
After scrutiny and media attention for the decision, the board has said it plans to revisit the rule in the future to reach a “balance.”
