The temperature inside the Toyota Coaster apparently reached 60 degrees Celsius on November 24 when it was 46.5 in Ceduna and higher inland.

The bus is the only one without air conditioning that serves Miltaburra Area School. Its run starts at Haslam and continues for 32km along mainly dirt roads.

“(It was) bloody hot because we had only fresh air coming in and it blows in just the hot air,” bus driver Dean Woods said.

“It gets that hot I have it on recycle so it gets cool.

“(The children) don’t get anything so they open the windows and it sucks the dust in.”

Member for Flinders Liz Penfold has written to Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith urgently requesting an air-conditioned bus be appointed to Miltaburra Area School.

Mrs Penfold says a SafeWork SA media release issued November 9 stated that “employers are legally obliged to provide a safe working environment” as it “is a necessary part of that duty of care”.

“I fail to see how the same does not apply to children who have to attend school,” Mrs Penfold said.

The government warning advised the “symptoms of heat stress can lead to serious illness and in extreme cases, death” and describes symptoms that include headaches, fatigue, dizziness or fainting, increased sweating; mood changes such as irritability or confusion, and possibly an upset stomach or vomiting.

Mrs Penfold said she had been advised that one child had an epileptic fit after a journey home on a very hot bus and she is very concerned for the health and safety of the driver and all passengers should there be another incident.

“In a ridiculous twist, rather than return the un-air-conditioned bus, the department in their wisdom took back an air-conditioned bus,” Mrs Penfold said.

Miltaburra principal Rob Nunan said that actually six other buses with air conditioning had been replaced but not the Haslam one.

Which bus goes on which route and the route they take are under the control of the education department.

The school pays for a bus and a driver to go to Smoky Bay from its regular budget because no government bus has been provided.

“It threatens our viability – particularly our senior grades,” Mr Nunan concluded.