Subsidies for School Bus Attendants for Phone and Mobile Data Plan Purchases if Their Work Requires Use of Apps

The following question stood in the name of Dr Tan Wu Meng –

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has received reports about school bus attendants being required to install and use mobile apps for their duties, such as a school transport app, and not having been reimbursed for (i) mobile phone purchases or (ii) mobile data used for such duties; (b) if so, how many reports have been received; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider providing support to affected school bus attendants.

Mr Speaker, no school bus attendant has been required by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to install and use mobile applications for their duties.

As part of its efforts to improve work efficiencies and support the school bus sector, MOE had invited willing school bus drivers and attendants to trial a mobile web-based application to take attendance of the students taking their school buses. This trial is voluntary as we understand that school bus operators may have their preferred means to take attendance or would have other considerations such as cost of purchasing mobile phones.