MR. CHARLES, PARENTS CANNOT PAY SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION WITH PROMISES!
Twenty-five days after a personal assurance, parents are still asking questions — and still paying the price.
October 9, 2026 | By Dedan Jn Baptiste
There comes a time when patience begins to look like foolishness.
And there comes a time when the silence surrounding an unresolved problem becomes almost as frustrating as the problem itself.
And this morning, I am not going to mince words.
Mr. Parliamentary Representative, something has to give!
THE PHONE CALL THAT STOPPED MY ARTICLE
On September 15, I was preparing to publish an article with the headline:
It was ready. The concerns were serious. I was about to press the publish button.
Then my telephone rang.
Guess who was on the other end?
Hon. Keithson "Kiffo" Charles himself, Parliamentary Representative for Choiseul/Saltibus.
He informed me that he was making contacts in an effort to address the transportation situation.
I listened. I appreciated the call. And I decided to hold back the article.
Why? Because I believe people should be given a reasonable opportunity to act on what they say.
But Mr. Charles, that was September 15. Today is October 9.
No further update has reached me. Parents are still asking what is being done.
I am not saying that no contacts have been made. I am saying that the parents deserve to know whether those contacts have produced anything meaningful.
THEN CAME A MESSAGE FROM A MOTHER
Recently, a parent with two children attending Beanefield Secondary School contacted me on WhatsApp.
"Hi good evening have you heard from the Rep concerning transportation for the children?"
Read that message again.
There is no political attack in it. No insults. No grandstanding.
Just a mother looking for some hope.
And I had nothing encouraging to tell her.
I felt uncomfortable because I had withheld my earlier article, believing that something might come out of the Representative's efforts.
But my discomfort is nothing compared with what these families are experiencing.
$50 A DAY JUST TO KEEP TWO CHILDREN GOING
Another mother, also with two children attending Beanefield Secondary School, explained her daily expenses.
And Mr. Representative, I want you to pay very close attention to these figures.
ONE CHILD. ONE SCHOOL DAY.
| Transport to Vieux Fort and back | $10 |
| Drop-off point to school and back | $4 |
| Break and lunch | $10 |
| ITEMISED DAILY TOTAL | $24 |
The mother estimates her daily spending at approximately $25 per child.
ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS!
That is the approximate monthly cost of transportation and school-day meals for two children in this household.
Of that amount, transportation alone accounts for $560 over 20 school days, based on the fares she described.
Now subtract that from the income of an ordinary working household. Then consider groceries, water, electricity, rent, other children, and all the other expenses.
Tell me, Mr. Charles, where is that money supposed to come from?
"WHEN THE BUS DROPS THEM AT ROBLOT JUNCTION..."
Another detail shared by a parent has remained on my mind.
She explained that when the bus drops her children off at the Roblot junction, she encourages them to walk the remaining distance home, or ask for a lift.
Think about that for a moment.
After spending the day at school, the children still have another journey to complete.
And their mother is trying to find a way to avoid another transportation expense.
Do we understand what this means?
Here is a parent who wants her children educated, wants them home safely, and is trying to make limited money stretch just a little farther.
No parent should feel financially pressured to choose between paying for a safer journey home and asking children to walk or seek a lift.
Depending on the distance, conditions and availability of safe transport, that final journey may present concerns of its own.
This is not merely a question of dollars and cents anymore.
It is about dignity. It is about peace of mind. And above all, it is about our children.
CAMERAS, CEREMONIES AND THE REAL TEST OF LEADERSHIP
Mr. Charles, I see your name associated with community activities and developments across the constituency.
There is nothing wrong with that.
A Parliamentary Representative should be active and visible.
But let me ask a question that may make some people uncomfortable.
Are we placing as much urgency on the quiet suffering of struggling families as we place on public events and ceremonies?
It is easy to be photographed at a presentation.
It is easy to issue congratulations and public messages of support.
But the true measure of representation is also found in how effectively one responds when a mother says she cannot comfortably afford to get her children to school and back.
"A mother's financial hardship may not attract a photographer. But it deserves the attention of her elected representative."
Our children must not become invisible simply because their transportation difficulties do not make for an attractive publicity photograph.
PARENTS ARE NOT BEGGING FOR CHARITY
Let me be absolutely clear.
These parents are not asking the Parliamentary Representative to pay every household expense.
They are asking for meaningful intervention to ease a transportation burden directly connected to their children's education.
That could involve a dedicated school bus, a subsidised service, an arrangement with transport operators, or assistance from the relevant government authorities.
The precise solution should come from serious discussions with the people responsible for education and transport.
But surely by now the parents deserve to know what options are being pursued.
FIVE QUESTIONS THAT DEMAND ANSWERS
- What contacts have been made since the September 15 telephone conversation?
- Which authorities or transportation providers have been approached, and what has been their response?
- Is a dedicated or subsidised transportation arrangement being actively considered?
- What temporary relief can be explored while a permanent solution is being pursued?
- When will parents receive an official update and a realistic timetable for the next steps?
These are not outrageous questions. They are the questions that any concerned parent is entitled to ask.
And they deserve more than another private assurance.
DON'T MISTAKE THE SILENCE OF PARENTS FOR SATISFACTION
Not every parent will complain publicly.
Not every mother will call a radio station or contact a blogger.
Some will simply keep struggling, borrowing, cutting back and trying to ensure their children do not miss school.
But their silence does not mean the burden is manageable.
And their patience must never be taken as permission to leave them without answers.
Mr. Charles, the parents are not fools. Their concerns must not be treated as though they will simply disappear with time.
I HELD BACK MY ARTICLE. I WILL NOT HOLD BACK THE QUESTIONS.
I gave the Representative the benefit of the doubt on September 15.
I would gladly give credit where credit is due if tangible progress has been made.
But I cannot report progress that has not been communicated to me or the affected parents who continue asking for information.
So today I am making a simple public request.
MR. CHARLES, GIVE THE PARENTS AN UPDATE WITHIN SEVEN DAYS.
Tell them what has been done, what remains outstanding, and when they can reasonably expect the next step.
If there is progress, show it. If there are obstacles, explain them.
We are not demanding a miracle within seven days.
We are demanding communication, urgency and accountability.
Because another school week means another round of payments.
And for at least one mother, it also means another day of wondering how her children will complete their journey home from the Roblot junction.
FINALLY, MR. REPRESENTATIVE...
Public office is not merely about being seen.
It is about being there when the people who placed their trust in the system need help.
Parents are making sacrifices every school day to ensure their children have the opportunity for an education.
They are doing their part.
Now they want to see the authorities doing theirs.
THE CHILDREN NEED A WAY TO SCHOOL.
THE PARENTS NEED FINANCIAL RELIEF.
AND THE REPRESENTATIVE NEEDS TO ANSWER.
Mr. Charles, turn those contacts into concrete action.
And while you work towards a solution, please keep the parents informed.
They have waited long enough for a meaningful response.
Dedan Jn Baptiste
Choiseul on the Move
Giving a voice to the concerns of our communities.
A PUBLIC INVITATION TO RESPOND
Choiseul on the Move welcomes a response from the Parliamentary Representative, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant authorities. We will gladly publish verified information on any meaningful progress towards resolving the transportation difficulties.
Parents are also invited to share their experiences respectfully, without disclosing children's personal information or unsafe travel details.
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