On Monday and Tuesday we experienced huge problem with the transport. ATSEE received a lot of angry letter. I would like to share just one of many with you.

“Dear Sir/Madam

Yesterday, Tuesday 11th September, my daughter was supposed to take the navette which is supposed to leave from EE2 (Mamer) at 16.45 and arriving at EE1 (Kirchberg) at 17.15. This was going to be the first time that she was taking the navette from Study Centre. Understandably she was quite excited as in fact was I.

At 17.12 I was at EE1 (Kirchberg) waiting for the navette to arrive, together with around ten other parents. When the navette arrived, it was empty, there were no children on it. None of the other parents knew what was going on. Luckily I had the good sense to give my 7-year old daughter a mobile, something which I was not very keen to do, but given the present situation I felt I had no other option.

Consequently I could contact my daughter and ask her what was going on. She informed me that at 16.40 she and the other children went to get the navette outside the CPE but when they didn’t find it there, they walked to where the navette drops them in the morning and apparently they went aboard the navette which drove them down infront of the CPE and stopped there. I called my daughter several times and asked her at what time the navette was leaving but she had no answer. When I asked her to pass the mobile to the navette’s driver so that I could speak to him and ask for information, he refused to speak to me.
I waited for the navette for close to an hour and during this time neither me nor the other parents had an inkling as to what was going on. The children, on the other hand, were kept on the navette for more than an hour, time which they could have otherwise spent in the warmth of their homes, and their educators were not even informed that the navette had not left at the usual time. I finally decided to go and pick up my daughter myself from Study Centre but due to the chaotic traffic situation at that hour I only arrived at Mamer at around 19pm and my daughter was one of the last at permanence.

It also so happened that yesterday at 19pm I had a meeting with my daughter’s class teacher and with her Language 2 teacher. Because of this inconvenience not only did I arrive late for the meeting but I also had to cancel the plans which I had made for my daughter’s supervision and instead she had to wait till after the meeting was finished to eat her dinner and have her bath. Not to mention the worry, confusion and frustration caused by not knowing what was happening that I and the other parents had to endure. The children’s safety might also have been put at risk. We are talking about 6-year old and 7-year olds who not only were forced to become more independent during these past few days because of a decision taken by the authorities to segregate some language groups in Mamer, but who now also have to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing if they will get home and if so at what time.

I find this situation not only unacceptable but also very discriminating and I hope that this situation will be rectified as soon as possible. There is no way that I will risk my daughter’s safety or well-being. I did not choose to send my daughter to Mamer. The decision was taken for me. I am trying my hardest to adapt to all these changes and as a single mother to a 7-year old daughter I assure you that it is not easy. However I am really doing my best. As is my daughter and all the other parents and children.
I sincerely hope that this situation will not happen again and I appeal to you to interve and cooperate together in order to ensure that our children are not treated as second-class citizens. Their best interests must be taken into consideration and their safety should be top priority.”

If you have similar experience please share it with others.