Children better get a good pair of boots next year, as funding to Secondary School transport is cut!
South Lanarkshire Council officials today shockingly voted to end free transport for pupils who live 3 or less miles away from School. Meaning any child within a 3 mile catchment of the school will soon have to make their own way there without the use of the council bus service. A move which beggar’s belief.
A consultation exercise did take place, with 92% of 6,315 participants appalled at the idea, strongly objecting for a multitude of unpopular reasons. The council’s consultation however, appears to have just been a ‘tick box’ exercise, the opinion of residents ignored and today, Wednesday 7th August, despite opposition from others, Labour and Lib Dem councillors proceeded to remove the free school bus provision regardless.
The Scottish Government has given South Lanarkshire Council record funding this year, in the face of austerity and economic, financial chaos yet it appears, just like increasing sports fees, the council has again chosen to spent their budget on agendas other than the welfare of children.
There are no changes to ASN pupils who will continue to receive free transport, as will primary school pupils if they live more than 1 mile from their school. The council maintain they will work with schools and parents in the coming year to lessen the impact and help parents put alternative arrangements in place.
The new limit wont apply until August 2025, apparently to let parents make other arrangements for those pupils within this radius. With a further round of cuts coming next year, one has to wonder what is next for schools.
Council leader Joe Fagan commented, “The uncomfortable truth is that none of us want to be in the position of revising and changing and bluntly cutting back on what has been a very generous policy, we are compelled to make some very difficult decisions on public spending and particularly in education and the reality is that the £2 million we can save by bringing a non statutory entitlement in line with the statutory minimum, I think however unpalatable is preferable to some of those other cuts in education.”
We’re being unusually vocal about this matter given the number of direct complaints sent into us by parents during the “consultation process” and because of concerns we have for what this means for Blantyre pupils and the impact in the immediate area. For example, a significant increased number of vehicles in drop off zones and nearby streets potentially increasing the risk of road accidents. Then there’s the safety of children in general, walking in dark winter mornings and afternoons in dimly lit streets or the off street shortcuts they may be tempted to take.
This needs called out. Too many of our readers fought against this including very public protests. Once again, during this cost of living crisis, and just like several other high profile cuts to services, South Lanarkshire Council has proven they DON’T listen to community feedback and are continuing to fail the children and young people in this region.
