Code of Conduct for Students

Guardian One Transport is committed to providing safe travel to and from school for everyone who uses school transport. We have produced this code of conduct as a positive step towards this aim. We want everyone to know their responsibilities and to know how important it is to follow the code of conduct. We summarize our policies for home-to-school and make it available with the Admissions office of the School each year. It’s also on our website.

This code of conduct relates primarily to travel on school buses, but certain parts of the document may also be relevant to other vehicles in the school campus. This document not only sets out the standard of service that is expected out of outsourced transport arrangement, but also sets out the ways in which schools, parents, pupils and students can work with us to provide a safe and reliable service.

Encourage and support appropriate school student behavior on buses by: – identifying the rights, roles and responsibilities of students, parents/guardian, bus drivers, bus operators, Transport Committees and School principal in contributing to safe and responsible bus travel.
Outlining the process to identify categories of misconduct – providing the framework to determine appropriate consequences for incidents of school student misconduct on buses.
Highlight the importance of collaboration between all stakeholders in managing school student behavior on buses.
Assist bus operators to manage school student behavior in an appropriate and consistent manner.

Aim

The Code applies to all Kindergarten, Primary, Middle and Secondary school students who use buses of Guardian One Transport either to travel to and from school or for other school-related activities. While the vast majority of school students behave appropriately when travelling on buses, from time to time a small number behave inappropriately and this can affect the safety and comfort of the journey for fellow passengers. The Code clarifies expected standards of school student behavior and provides a framework for the management of misconduct.

The aim of the Code is to ensure safe and responsible school bus travel for all passengers, including bus attendants and drivers. For most students this will not require any change to their current behavior. The effectiveness of the Code depends on successful partnerships between the stakeholders – students, parents, bus attendants, school bus drivers, bus operators, schools and School Administration. Collaboration between stakeholders is important to reinforce messages about acceptable standards of conduct on the bus and to facilitate the effective implementation of the Code.

RTA Guidelines

The Roads and Transport authority (RTA) has issued guidelines for School Transport Activity in Dubai vide their Administrative Decision No. 353 to regular School Transportation in the Emirates.

In the light of the orders, RTA has issued the School Transport Guiding Manual in the Emirate of Dubai establishing the responsibilities of school managements, operators, school bus drivers, students and parents as regards the school transport. The RTA guidelines includes the following safety standards:

School Bus Specifications – Exterior & Interior
School Bus Safety Standards
Responsibilities of Schools & School Bus Operators
Responsibilities of Bus Drivers & Female Bus Attendants
Responsibilities of Students & Parents
School Bus Ownership Guidelines
School Driver Permit
School Bus Conductor Permit
Violations & Fines

Stakeholders

In implementing the Code, a collaborative approach by all stakeholders involved in the safe travel of school students is critical to encourage and reinforce appropriate behavior on buses. Therefore, all stakeholders need to recognize the important role they play to ensure safe and responsible bus travel for school students.

Students

All students have the right to enjoy a safe and comfortable bus journey, to be respected and treated fairly by other passengers and the bus driver. Students also have the responsibility to conduct themselves in a manner that ensures both their comfort and safety and the comfort and safety of others.

Parents/Guardians

All parents/Guardians expect their children’s school bus journeys to be safe and pleasant. By taking responsibility for the behavior of their school-aged children parents/guardian play an important collaborative role in ensuring safe and responsible bus travel.

It is important that they cooperate with the bus operator, transportation staff and the school principal in discussing reported incidents of bus misconduct and in implementing agreed actions.

Schools

School staff play an important role in advising their students about the Code and the consequences for misconduct on the bus. They liaise closely with bus operators and are a key part of the collaborative team of stakeholders managing school student misconduct on buses. Schools often provide valuable assistance in suggesting approaches to managing incidents of misconduct. Principals play a pivotal role in maintaining positive partnerships with bus companies.

This ensures appropriate processes are in place and provides a link between the school’s behavior management plan and the Code. This collaboration ensures that students can expect to receive fair and consistent handling of breaches of the Code by both the bus company and the school.

Bus Drivers & Attendants

Bus drivers have the very important responsibility of driving the bus in a safe manner, as well as ensuring the safety and security of passengers. The bus attendants play equally a major role in maintaining discipline in school buses. As drivers and attendants are also required to issue directions to ensure the safety of all passengers, it is important that all passengers respect the authority held of bus attendants and drivers while they are in control of a vehicle.

It is expected that transport staff treat school students with courtesy, and use non-discriminatory and appropriate language and actions at all times. Mutual respect between transport staff and school students will ensure a safe and pleasant journey for all.

Guardian One Transport

We at G1 understand the requirements of operating the fleet as per RTA guidelines, fulfill all the compliance requirements, be responsible for providing the drivers and bus attendants with training in managing the behavior of students on buses; ensuring they know the policies and procedures to be followed when implementing the Code. Positive and collaborative partnerships between G1, Schools and Parents/Guardians ensure the Code is effectively and promptly implemented when managing incidents of student misconduct. This cooperation will show the students that G1, the school and parent/ guardian are dealing with behavior issues in a seamless and consistent way.

Students: Role, Rights & Responsibilities (RRR)

Students have an obligation to conduct themselves in a manner that ensures both their own comfort and safety and that of other students. To assist students in understanding their obligations in relation to their behaviors on school bus services, the Code is being developed. The following are the role, rights and responsibilities along with behavior guidelines for students to follow while travelling in the School buses of Guardian One Transport:

Students’ Role

To be a safe and responsible passenger

Students’ Rights

To be safe; Expect their belongings to be safe; Board and disembark in a safe manner and to be respected and treated fairly; Travel free from verbal and physical abuse

Students’ Responsibilities

To act safely and responsibly by:

Contribute to safe and comfortable travel for all the passengers
Be responsible for their attitude and actions
Following the bus rules and the Code of G1
Respecting self and others
Treat the transport staff with respect and following their instructions
Respect own property and the property of others
Report any unsafe behavior to attendants / School Administration; express concerns in an appropriate manner; Communicating respectfully with others
Demonstrate self-control and be cooperative

Students’ Expected Behaviors

Respect other people and their property.

Respect other students and their possessions
Follow the transport staff’s directions without argument
Do not interfere with bus property, equipment by marking or damaging them in any way.
Wait for the bus in an orderly manner
Always arrive in good time to catch the bus and do not run
Wait on the pavement, do not go near the school bus until it stops completely
Do not play in the bus waiting area
Stand quietly without calling out or shouting
Do not push other students in the line

While on the bus, the students should conduct themselves in an orderly manner

Always follow instructions of the driver and bus attendant
Show the ID card upon request and mark attendance for in and out on real-time
Sit in an allocated seat; wear seat belt and store the belongings appropriately
Behave in a calm, non-aggressive way
Speak quietly and don’t create unnecessary noise

Use approved bus stops:

Students will only be allowed to get on or off the bus at an approved bus stop
Students should be to allowed for any change to the regular pickup or drop off stop only after receipt of written request from the parents or formal approval from school administration or supervisors

When leaving the bus, do so in an orderly manner:

Wait until the bus stops before standing to get off
Leave the bus in a quiet and orderly manner
Do not cross the road without driver’s clearance. Take help of attendants to cross the road where needed

In case of emergency or a breakdown, follow the directions of the transportation staff:

Follow the instructions of the driver and attendant, at all the time
Wait until the bus stops before standing to get off
Leave the bus in a quiet and orderly fashion
Wait in the area indicated by the driver and bus attendant

Students' Must Nots

Bully or harass other students or the transport staff
Place feet on the seats; write or damage the seats
Fight, spit or use offensive language
Throw any article around and inside the bus
Consume food or drink or play music without the permission of the attendant
Use a recording device, or any description, to obtain images / audio of other passengers or the driver
Smoking (prohibited inside the buses and in parking areas)
Possess, consume or travel under the influence of alcohol or a prohibited substance
Possess, discuss or distribute any material that may be considered inappropriate or offensive, i.e. material of a violent or sexually explicit nature.
Stand while the bus is in motion.
Bring an object on the bus that is considered dangerous or any object that may be considered as intended as a weapon
Distract drivers through use of mobile phones or hand-held games

Parents / Guardian: Role, Rights & Responsibilities (RRR)

Parents and Guardians Roles

To actively support bus safety with their school aged children.

Parents and Guardians Rights

Safe and comfortable travel for their children.
To be respected and treated fairly.
To be consulted and to receive accurate information about the bus behavior of their children.

Parents’ and Guardians Responsibilities

To ensure that their children are capable of travelling independently on the bus.
To ensure their children have an understanding of the Code and the bus rules.
To communicate respectfully with the operator, school and transport staff.
To teach their children about bus safety and consequences for misconduct.
To demonstrate appropriate bus travel behaviors to their children.
To co-operate with the school and bus operator in managing bus misconduct.
To ensure the safe travel of their children to and from the bus stop.
To be available for discussions about the behavior of their children.

Parents’ and Guardians Expected Behaviors

To provide their children with the correct bus fare.
To cooperate with their children’s school and the bus operator in discussing behavior incidents and in implementing any agreed disciplinary action.
To communicate with the bus operator and the school about their children’s bus transport and respond to phone and written communication.
To address concerns about their children’s bus travel by promptly contacting the bus operator so that relevant issues can be managed using the procedures outlined in the Code.

School: Role, Rights & Responsibilities (RRR)

Schools’ role

To promote bus safety and collaborate in the management of student bus safety.

Schools’ rights

Safe and comfortable travel for their students.
To be consulted and to receive accurate information about their students’ school bus behavior’s.
To be respected.

Schools’ Responsibilities

To communicate respectfully and collaborate with stakeholders in the implementation of the Code.
To support bus operators in the application of the Code’s procedures and processes.
To reinforce safe bus travel and the Code’s messages in school-based processes.
To facilitate effective communication between bus operators and students & parents.

Schools’ expected behavior’s

To provide information on the Code to parents/guardian.
To support the bus operator in implementing consequences for school students who breach the Code.
To collaborate with bus operators and parents/guardian in relation to their students’ behaviour on buses.
To ensure a suitable level of supervision at school bus collection points, where appropriate.
To reinforce the need for safe and responsible students behaviour on buses.

Bus Drivers & Attendants: Role, Rights and Responsibilities (RRR)

Bus Drivers’ & Attendants’ Role

To drive the bus safely.
To maintain discipline in the bus
To follow the Code for managing bus misconduct.

Bus Drivers’ & Attendants’ Rights

To be safe.
To be respected and treated with courtesy.
To be trained in the Code and behavior management strategies.
To receive help and support from the bus operator in dealing with issues of student misconduct.

Bus Drivers’ & Attendants’ Responsibilities

To drive safely.
To undertake training on bus driver roles and responsibilities under the Code.
To treat students fairly and with respect.
To utilize behavior management strategies appropriately in handling bus behavior.
To follow the Code’s procedures and the bus operator’s directions, policies and procedures.
To communicate in a clear, appropriate and respectful manner.
To promptly record and inform the bus operator of student behavior incidents and the action which has been taken.

Bus Drivers’ & Attendants’ Expected Behavior’s

Drivers to drive professionally and safely at all times.
Attendants to effectively implement safe travel practices and ensure safety
To respect passengers and their property.
To behave and communicate professionally and courteously at all times.
To be fair and consistent in dealing with passengers.
To follow the Code’s procedures and the operator’s bus rules promptly, consistently and impartially.

Guardian One Transport

Bus operators’ role

To ensure the quality operation of bus services.

Bus Operators’ Rights

To be respected and treated courteously.
To be supported by stakeholders in the appropriate implementation of the Code.

Bus Operators’ Responsibilities

To ensure drivers are appropriately trained and supported in implementing the Code.
To ensure that the school buses comply with regulatory requirements
To communicate respectfully with stakeholders to collaboratively manage student behavior on buses.
To implement the Code in a fair and consistent manner.
To keep clear records of behavior incidents involving school students, including actions taken.
To ensure students, staff, attendants and drivers travel in a safe environment.

Bus operators’ expected behavior’s

To follow processes outlined in the Code.
To collaborate with relevant stakeholders to implement appropriate consequences when dealing with students who breach the Code.
To clearly communicate reasons for decisions to relevant parties.
To support and train drivers / attendants, as required, in effectively implementing the Code.
To apply principles of natural justice in making decisions related to the Code.

At Guardian One Transport, each incident of reported student misconduct is assessed individually. The report of misconduct is prepared and submitted by the Bus Attendant. Upon receipt of the report, at G1, the category of the incident is determined, considering the context of the specific incident; the seriousness of the behavior; and the extent of the threat to passenger safety. The response to misconduct and complaints as per the level of Seriousness follow a review process of Guardian One Transport. Following which a case is closed only post completion of the course of action to be taken based on the level of Seriousness decided by G1 in keeping with the code of conduct as well as the Process of escalation followed by the schools.