Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, has taken a stance against teachers being threatened with legal action – simply for driving minibuses with a standard driver’s license.
Graham said: “This is health and safety legislation gone mad. Hard-working teachers should not be afraid of being fined or receiving points on their driver’s license for taking children to geography field-trips or sports-matches.”
Around half of all local authorities nationwide currently advise against teachers driving a minibus with a standard driver’s license for fear of legal prosecution. The government has previously assured teachers they will not face prosecution – but the police have disputed this.
Graham adds: “I have written to the Minister for Schools asking him to address this legal grey area so our teachers can get back to doing what they do best: teaching and supporting our children, both inside and outside the classroom.
“The Minister has assured me he is working with the Department for Transport to establish a uniform approach to eliminating the confusion, and plans to keep local police forces informed of the developments.
“Children often learn more outside the classroom than in it. Teachers need to be able to take children out into the world if they are to explain it and inspire them to learn about it. We should be encouraging and promoting learning outside the classroom, not penalising and threatening teachers for doing the right thing.”