Their son attends Wilson School, which provides specialist education for students with high needs. He was supposed to be dropped off at Manuka Primary in Glenfield on Auckland’s North Shore, where the school’s satellite classes take place.
However, they were informed by the school at 11.01am that their son was marked absent.
“We immediately contacted the school and were informed that they could not locate him and were attempting to determine his whereabouts,” the parents said.
They were later told at 12.52pm that their son was found inside the school van.
“The driver had failed to drop [our son] at school. Instead, after dropping off two other students at separate schools, the driver returned to his home while [our son] remained inside the vehicle.”
When the driver returned to drop their son off at school around 1.15pm, he failed to provide an explanation before driving away.
The 11-year-old boy was meant to be dropped off at Manuka Primary, but was found hours later inside a Ritchies Transport-operated school van. Photos / Google Maps / NZME
The Ministry of Education told the Herald it is “aware of this incident and have requested an explanation from the transport provider”.
“The ministry takes any situation where a child’s safety or wellbeing may be at risk extremely seriously.”
The mother said her son now seems fine and went back to school today, but she’s concerned about the four or so hours when he was unaccounted for.
“He seems all right, but the problem is because he’s non-verbal, we don’t actually know how he’s feeling and how it impacted [him].
“How can people not notice someone like him? He’s a big boy, he’s quite tall and his uniform is absolutely bright red.
“The person who’s responsible for unloading the van didn’t notice him. And the driver, even though after dropping these whole bunch of kids to Manuka Primary, he went to two other schools. And then he went home and then he locked his van and he went to go about his day. And two hours later, someone calls him and then he checks on his van and then there’s a child remaining there.”
The father said he wants answers about how his son could’ve been left in a school van for hours without anyone noticing: “There are so many questions.”
Gurshabad Singh, 8, drowned last month after escaping a school van. Photo / Alyse Wright
Gurshabad Singh, the 8-year-old boy who drowned last month, was also on the autism spectrum and had been in a Ritchies-operated school van.
Ritchies is contracted by the ministry, which provides specialised transport to schools for children with specific needs under Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA).
“It is so scary because only two weeks ago a little boy died,” the mother said.
“We were already paranoid [about] how things can go wrong and how vulnerable our children are. And then we were not even recovered from reading this news … and within a week this happens to our son.
“How scary is this… if it was a hot summer day, imagine being locked in a van if that’s what happened to him. He could have suffocated.”
The parents said they were told by Ritchies that the driver involved has since lost his job and a “formal investigation” is underway.
A Ritchies spokesperson said: “The safety of our passengers is our top priority and we are fully investigating this incident.”
Police confirmed they received a report of the incident on June 5.
“Police are in the very early stages of making enquiries in relation to this, including speaking with the Ministry of Education, the bus company and the school.”
School and ministry reviewing processes
The ministry said it is “undertaking a system-wide review of SESTA as part of our ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement”.
“This will focus on ensuring that roles and responsibilities are clearly understood, standards are consistently met in practice, and identifying any areas for improvement, particularly in relation to safety and how students with additional needs are supported during transport.
“We understand that parents need confidence in this service. We are actively managing it, identifying and addressing where it can be strengthened, and taking steps to make sure our services remain fit for purpose.”
Wilson School principal Anjuman Raza said the school was “deeply concerned that this incident occurred”.
“Our priority has been the wellbeing of the student and supporting his family,” Raza told the Herald.
“Our current understanding is that the student was not handed over at school as expected during the morning drop-off and remained in the Ritchies vehicle until he was located. When brought to school, he was checked by staff and collected by his family.
“The school has reported the matter to the Ministry of Education and understands that the ministry and the transport provider are investigating. Wilson School is co-operating fully with that process. Questions about the vehicle, the driver, GPS, CCTV, or any onboard footage should be directed to the ministry and Ritchies as part of that investigation. As part of our inquiries, we have also requested any available information, including potential onboard footage, to support the investigation and clarify what occurred.
“While students are in transit, transport providers are responsible for the operation of the service, including supervision and transport safety procedures. The safe handover of students relies on clear processes between the ministry, the transport provider and the school. Given the seriousness of what has occurred, Wilson School is reviewing its own arrival and attendance procedures and will work with the ministry and Ritchies on any improvements needed.
“We are extremely sorry for the distress this incident has caused the student and his family. For privacy reasons, and while the investigation is underway, we are not able to provide further details.”