To think a CHILD of compulsory school age

[Pricklypickup]

Should not be charged adult price for their journey to school?

DD year 11 travels to school by train and bus, now for the last two terms of school has to pay adult price as she's had her 16th birthday.

This year is also the first year that have to stay in compulsory education until end of year 13.

Why on earth do they have to pay adult price to get to and from school? They're not earning, and there is no difference in her income from September to now.

Parents with summer born babies (July and August) I know there are many debates of the disadvantages of being born in the summer - I've found you an advantage they're classed as a child until they have completed their education!

Fuckadoodlepoopoo, the current year 11 have to stay till they are 17, it's 18 for all the years younger than that.
They have a choice of school, college or a job that has an element of training to it. They can't just leave school and get any old job or go on the dole.

You can use a student card on short train journeys, I do, but not before off peak kicks in. Which is 10am here and seems to change at the whim of the rail operator. FYI they are £28/yr.

But she is over 16, why doyou think the bus firm should subsidise her, and not her family?

If you live so far away from school that she needs to get a bus, surely you knew she would need to pay an age appropriate bus fare?

We have the same thing here too - well, my eldest is only 11 so not something we have to worry about yet, but she's September born so it will come up.

We used to have a student bus pass that all young people under 18 and in education were entitled to but it was done away with

SAhe's at schoolk though - the age of childhood has been pushed up to 18, in the same way it went from 14 to 16 so she shouldn't have tp pay full fare!

Gene I agree that it's worth getting in touch with one's MP, but I don't think they can do anything other than put pressure on their party to raise this as an issue.

They don't have any powers AFAIK to make bus or rail firms reduce fares. They are private firms, after all.

It was the same when I was at school. I was meant to lay full fare for 18 months, no student prices here, still isn't. I lied. If also get the sane driver in the last bus home after a night in the pub at 17 still got on for a half!

That's appalling. I agree with writing to your MP snd perhaps asking the school's governors or PTA to support you.

Our local bus company has increased the age of child/student bus fares to 19. Very enlightened of them!

In the North West we have a discount travel scheme for those in education.

Victor we seem to be going back to the 1980's where teens have no access to income/benefits, yet have to apy adult prices for things, how exactly are families supposed topay for their teen?

We also are not consulted when they close schools and build schools on reachable by bus.

My DD is on an advanced apprenticeship at 16/17, so my CTC and CB stops for her, yet if she worked she would earn a maximum of £3.68 (but usually £2.65) an hour.

I have to pay £55 pm to send my yr 12 DD on the school coach to her catchment school as she was the last of the years that could leave at 16 but chose to stay and do A'Levels.

The irony is she didn't get into the school actually closest to me that she could walk to. DD2 goes to the same school and get the same bus.

I never chose for them to attend this school and am a single parent of 3DC so the extra is quite a dent in our finances.

"They don't have any powers AFAIK to make bus or rail firms reduce fares"

ECM continues until 19, so the LA can subsidise fares for some groups. We have it in the NW because we are a disadvantaged area. This is why charity groups are concerned that we will see "pockets of poverty" because of the cuts (transport being one). Some teens will not be able to access education or leisure.

That is why pensioner free travel varies.

I'm sorry OP. You are wrong. There is a discount card. Find it.

How do you know, Okay?

There's no discount card available for the bus my ds takes - there might be cards available in your area, but that isn't universal.

But isn't child benefit meant to cover child costs, so she IS receiving benefits?

Maybe I dn't see the problem as my kids never needed a bus to school, so I don't appreciate the issue. But where I live if the kids live far enough away - three miles - the get a school bus. Sounds like OP has always paid a bus fare to school, so I don't get why it is a shock that she now needs to pay an adult fare.

But you get child benefit for them until 19? Isn't this the sort of thing it is supposed to be used for?

Child benefit is for basic costs, children don't vote etc and are not legally classified as an adult until they are 18 and they are attending school which is compulsory (if you don't home educate) so they should pay a student/child fare.

Even the student price isn't that cheap, its almost £400 a year for my sons bus pass, as if next sept I shall have two to pay for.

So if the child benefit is supposed to cover these costs , then shouldn't it go up when they are 16 to cover the increase in adult fares and more expensive clothes (the extra vat on adult clothes?)

Vat at 16? Try vat food age ten and up when their feet get too big for child sized shoes!!

For not food?!!

Some college courses do not qualify you for CB past the age of 16.

My DD's apprenticeship was supposed to have a paid placement, but because of everyone's funding cuts, that hasn't happened, so at 17 there is no money coming in from anywhere.

She either quits the course or keeps weekend job hunting.

O/T rather than start a new thread.

According to the Dept of Education:

Scope note / definition

A person begins to be of compulsory school age on the prescribed day which either falls on or follows a person's fifth birthday. The prescribed days are currently 31st August, 31st December and 31st March, ie the term following the person's fifth birthday. A person ceases to be of compulsory school age on the school leaving date in the academic year in which they turns 16. The school leaving date is currently set as the last Friday in June. Raising the participation age (RPA, as set out in Chapter 1 of the Education and Skills Act 2008) does not affect the compulsory school age.* However, its effect is that a person who ceased to be of compulsory school age but has not yet reached the age of 18 (or attained a level 3 qualification), is under a duty to participate in education or training. Source: DfE lawyers 2011-10-17

and

RPA is coming into effect in summer 2013, when the participation age will increase to the end of the academic year in which young people turn 17. This will then increase to their 18th birthday from 2015.

Contact your local ed department and transport department. I have found that discounts aren't always advertised, you have to know about them to apply for them. Which is daft because you don't know so cannot apply lol.

Anyway, this leaving at 17, is this for the current year 11's or the ones starting in September? Confused, dd is in year 11 and no-one has mentioned anything about needing to stay in education for another year. Just mentioned it to her and she thinks I am winding her up, and wondering why she is doing another chunk of exams this year when they could be split.

Ihear I just posted the DofE comments.

Don't get confused with 'staying at school' - the school leaving age hasn't altered, it remains at 16 BUT those leaving 2013 and 2014 must stay in a form of education ie college/apprenticeship until 17, from 2015 it is 18. OR until they have passed A levels or vocational Level 3 equivalents.