Local reaction: Parents of pupils from Loreto secondary school were among the crowds who gathered in the Church of the Assumption in Kentstown last night for a prayer service.
The school will be closed today but staff will be on hand to talk to students and parents, said a member of the school's parents' association.
Fr David O'Hanlon, curate at Kentstown, was at the scene shortly after the accident and met several families.
He told RTÉ's Five Seven Live it was "an appalling scene" and that the passengers were deeply traumatised. "There seemed to be 20 emergency vehicles from what I can see, a lot of distraught and shocked people standing around, helicopters and emergency services," he said.
"There is a lot of rumour and a lot of speculation and a lot of panic. Naturally many families . . . parents converged on the scene because they were aware their children were travelling on the bus and so it's still very confusing."
He said a local mother had told him that her daughter, who survived the crash, phoned her while trapped in the bus.
"She said her daughter rang her on the mobile and was simply hysterical and said, 'Mammy, the bus has crashed'."
The National Parents' Council (Post Primary) sent its condolences to the families involved last night. NPC president Eleanor Petrie said it was a terrible tragedy. "Our hearts go out to all the families and to the children who were on the bus. That trauma will live with them for the rest of their days."
Ms Petrie said she hoped there would be an extensive review of school transport standards. She said she could not comment on the condition of the bus involved but said many school buses fell short of required safety standards. Many had no seat belts, while others were overcrowded with three sitting in seats intended for two.
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin is to send staff from the National Educational Psychological Service to schools in the Navan area today to provide counselling and support for pupils and teachers affected by yesterday's bus tragedy.
The service will operate in Loreto convent, Mercy convent, St Patrick's classical school and Beaufort college, which all had pupils on the bus.
A spokeswoman for Ms Hanafin said a series of "care teams" would be established. These will involve principals, teachers and school chaplains.
The teams will seek to identify pupils most affected by the tragedy. Outside counsellors will be on hand if required.
