A student attending a Co Wexford school was not allowed to get on the bus last week because he forgot his ticket.
The 13-year- old student, who attends Ramsgrange Community School, was left on the side of the road in the pouring rain, after he forgot to put his bus ticket in his pocket.
School principal Liam Fardy said common sense must prevail in incidents like this. "It's ridiculous that a child would be left on the side of the road," he said.
The mother of the pupil has written to Minister for Education Mary Hanafin.
Mr Fardy said he did not blame the driver of the bus but said that Bus Éireann was directly responsible through its implementation of a no-ticket no-travel policy.
He has also written to the Minister to see if "common sense" can prevail. "Is there no facility for common sense, cop-on or driver discretion to be applied?" he asked. Mr Fardy sent his letter last Friday but has so far received no response.
The student's mother in her letter to the Minister emphasised the fact that her son's life was put in danger.
Mr Fardy said that leaving a child on the side of the road was "tantamount to criminality and certainly leaves a child in danger". He suggested that bus drivers should have a list of students with tickets so that cross-references could be made in the event of a ticket being forgotten.
He added that none of the four buses attending Ramsgrange Community School was ever overcrowded.