Scottish Catholic Observer

The SNP group on Glasgow City Council has vowed to reverse cuts to free school transport as parents continue to tell the SCO they are being forced to send their children to non-denominational schools as a result of the changes.

Children in the city who live more than 2.2 miles from their secondary school currently receive free transport, however in order to make budget savings Glasgow City Council took the decision to change the eligibility criteria to more than 3 miles, a decision which will take effect when the schools restart on Monday.

Councillor David McDonald, Glasgow deputy SNP leader of the opposition, yesterday announced that a future SNP administration would re-instate school transport for primary and secondary school pupils to the previously accepted limits.

“Parents have been rightly furious about the decision to extend school transport limits at this year’s budget,” Councillor McDonald. “We opposed the changes, as it means thousands of children having to walk miles to school—in all weathers and facing various potentially unsafe routes. We believe that children should be able to get to school safely, warm and dry.”

Faye McDade lives in Tollcross and has one child at Trinity High in Rutherglen. She said she has spoken to more than 10 parents who are considering sending their children to the non-denominational Bannerman High as free transport for that school is still available, and she said that one parent has already pulled her child from Trinity as a result of the changes.

“It’s an absolute joke,” she said. “Our kids have to walk over a motorway and through an isolated estate.”

Ms McDade said the Glasgow SNP group’s decision was not much comfort to many parents now. Parents in Glasgow and Lanarkshire, where a vote on increasing the qualifying distance for school transport is pending, are trying to organise a meeting to force an immediate reverse of the changes. She added that many parents are considering not sending their children to school when the term starts.

Responding to claims that Catholic families may be more disadvantaged by the transport changes as there are fewer Catholic schools in catchment areas, a council spokeswoman said last week that this was not the case.

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