Penglais pupils will have to wear identity badges from 15 December

But the move by two Aberystwyth schools has been described as a waste of money by a bus driver who was last week cleared of assaulting two pupils on his bus.

Cadwgan Edwards, 68, claims that the only answer to pupils' bad behaviour is for an adult attendant to be on buses to keep students in line.

Mr Edwards was cleared of making inappropriate comments to and touching the bottom of a 12-year-old girl and hitting two 14-year-old boys with a stick.

This idea will prove a complete waste of money because half the children won't wear them and others will lose them or swap them round Cadwgan Edwards, bus driver

Head teachers at Penweddig and Penglais Secondary schools at the seaside town have joined forces to issue badges to their pupils because of '"he minority of pupils who seem unable to behave on the school bus".

"This idea will prove a complete waste of money because half the children won't wear them and others will lose them or swap them round," said Mr Edwards a bus driver since 1959.

Exclusion

"I have known children long enough for them to say that their mother has put it in the wash and broken it up and other excuses.

"What has happened to me could happen to any driver unless bus companies put on attendants to keep discipline and safeguard drivers."

Penglais School has 500 of its 1,287 pupils travelling on contract buses every day.

Head teacher Haydn Davey said: "The reason this scheme is being introduced is to aid identification of the minority of pupils who seem unable to behave on the school bus.

Bus attendants would be too expensive for schools to pay for

He added that the anniversary of the death of a pupil from Cowbridge in a school bus accident last year, was a sombre reminder for the need for good behaviour on school buses.

"The school will apply the same rules about exclusion for bad behaviour on buses as we would in school."

When asked about Mr Edwards' call for attendants to ride with drivers on buses, Mr Davey said: "No school budget would cover that sort of cost and would have to be addressed by the local authority which is responsible or school transport."

About 450 of the 680 pupils at Penweddig School travel by school bus.

Head teacher, Arwel George, said: " Another reason for issuing ID badges is to ensure that there is no overcrowding on buses.

"We need to ensure that pupils travel on the same bus and if they do misbehave it will be easier to find out who they are."