New research: Slovenian schoolchildren are late to school every day because of poor public transport

A new study has revealed that students in Slovenia frequently arrive late to school due to inadequate public transport infrastructure. The research, conducted between May and July this year, highlights how regular public transportation routes fail to meet the daily needs of students and school staff, leading to adjustments in school activities and additional organizational burdens for educators. According to the findings, over 60 percent of respondents reported that students regularly miss classes or leave early because of unreliable schedules. Nearly 40 percent of these cases occur daily, indicating a growing issue affecting both teaching processes and student learning. More than half of those surveyed believe that public transport has worsened in recent years, while slightly more than a quarter noted that it has remained stagnant. The main issues cited include poor accessibility, inadequate schedules, delays, and unreliability. Almost 80 percent of respondents stated that schools hire private bus companies for school-related activities involving children's transportation. Two-thirds of those questioned identified rising costs as the primary challenge in organizing such activities. Additionally, over 72 percent of respondents indicated that schools must adjust their activities occasionally or very frequently due to financial constraints faced by families. The inadequacy of public transport and the commercialization of occasional trips, according to the study, place an invisible and unpaid burden on school employees. Teachers increasingly spend time on administrative tasks, seeking funds, and addressing systemic shortcomings in transportation. Poorly organized public transport directly affects the quality of educational processes and extracurricular activities, limiting opportunities for middle and elementary school students outside of regular classes and contributing to fatigue and stress among students, according to the Transition Justice Network. Both employed individuals and students would prefer to use public transport if it were properly and reliably organized. Over 80 percent of those working in education believe that more teachers and students would utilize public transport for daily commutes if it were adequately managed. This shift could reduce car usage and promote environmentally sustainable mobility. Slovenia ranks among the top countries in the European Union in terms of household expenditures on transportation needs, including vehicle purchases, fuel, and maintenance. Environmental advocates from the Transition Justice Network argue that improving the quality of public transport would decrease the need for daily car use. They highlight that transport providers Arriva and Nomago hold a dominant market position, allowing them to achieve high profits at the expense of service quality and working conditions. Nearly 80 percent of respondents indicated that their schools hire one of these two providers for excursions and similar activities. As a result, schools are forced to accept higher costs at the expense of educational quality. To address these challenges, organizations within the Transition Justice Network advocate for systematic solutions. These include expanding the network of public transport and improving working conditions for drivers with better pay for all work hours, including waiting time, meals, and cleaning buses. To ensure that increased costs for hiring transport services do not limit access to educational activities, they also propose regulating the prices of occasional or group transport for school-related activities. Environmental advocates suggest transitioning from a profit-oriented model to a public, transparent, and democratic management approach for developing public transport. They emphasize that decisions regarding needs, routes, and timetables should involve input from various stakeholders.