26967 (2026). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education

26967 (2026). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education: What work, if any, does the Ministry of Education currently have underway to address the death of a young student which occurred after the student exited a Specialised School Transport Assitance funded school van?

Hon Erica Stanford: I am advised that in response to this tragic incident the Ministry of Education (the Ministry): • served the provider with a contract breach notice, immediately suspending the driver from SESTA services and requiring a comprehensive incident review report and remediation plan • provided trauma team and advisory support to the school and community • met with the Ritchies executive to amplify the urgency and focus required to resolve outstanding issues and prevent further incidents • initiated a system review of SESTA operations to identify any opportunities to make the system safer and more effective • communicated with the whole SESTA provider base on expectations for safe and diligent management of SESTA services. The incident is under investigation by Police on behalf of the coroner. The Ministry will support these processes and will consider the findings once the investigation is complete. Any further action will be guided by those findings, alongside its contractual and legal obligations. In addition, the Ministry is undertaking a system-wide review of Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) operations as part of their 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 on SESTA services.