The recent High Court ruling by Justice Aburili, which emphasized the importance of learning institutions adhering to the terms of their insurance policies, has sparked significant public debate. This conversation has touched on several key issues, including school-community integration, how communities raise funds to purchase school buses, and how these resources are subsequently shared.

To clarify, the judgment did not dictate how the buses should be used. Instead, it pointed out that the insurance policy in question only covered students and school staff, and anyone outside this group was not insured. Justice Aburili advised that learning institutions should expand their insurance coverage if their buses are used for other activities beyond school-related functions.

Furthermore, she recommended that the ruling be circulated to all learning institutions nationwide, so that School Management Boards are fully aware of the risks associated with hiring out buses without proper insurance coverage.

We would like to expand this discussion further to include other learning institutions such as colleges and to organisations that have buses for employee use.

It is common for learning institutions to hire out their buses to the community during weekends and school holidays. Some may hire out the bus for a fee, while others provide the buses for free. For organisations, hiring the bus out to staff members for a funeral, wedding or other events is also common practice. While these practices are beneficial to the community, it exposes institutions to significant risks if the buses are not insured beyond students, school staff and employees leaving them vulnerable to liabilities in the event of an accident.

Insurance policies are binding contracts, and both parties have rights and obligations. A breach of such a contract can render it void. However, insurance policies are also flexible and can be expanded to reflect changing needs. We therefore urge the management and leaders of learning institutions and organisations to secure annual insurance policies that cover use beyond school or employee activities. Alternatively, short-term insurance policies are available for ad hoc cases.