School transport costs – would you support a universal school bus subsidy

[ThatFancyPeachCrow]

I'm campaigning for a universal school bus travel subsidy for all school-aged children in England.
For families whose children attend grammar schools, selective schools or other schools outside their local area, transport costs can be substantial. Private school bus services can cost thousands of pounds a year, on top of the other costs associated with education.
I believe access to education shouldn't come with an excessive transport burden simply because a child attends a school further from home. A fairer, more consistent approach to school transport support would make a real difference to families.
I've started a petition calling for a universal school bus travel subsidy and would really appreciate support from other parents who feel this is an important issue.
Please consider signing and sharing it if you agree:
https://www.change.org/p/provide-universal-school-bus-travel-subsidy-for-all-school-aged-children

No that is disappointing, and I didn't say it was your choice. I'm surprised if grammar schools don't have any financial support available in situations like this, I think they should, they could even do fundraising to develop a hardship fund or something. Or the LAs that maintain a grammar school system should fund transport for children in families with lower incomes.

I just don't think it needs to be universal.

Nope, I just forked out 100's for a bus pass to attend the local college post 16. No alternative or free bus pass, even though it's compulsory to stay in education.

Your proposal is for people who choose to send their DC elsewhere.

No, your choice to send your DCs to a further away school so you pay. Of all the things we could be funding this would be one of the last on my list.

I think the bigger issue is the cost of transport for children AT THEIR CATCHMENT SCHOOL once they reach yr 12. Transport costs for my daughters for a spare seat on her old bus are £800 per year, just because councils don’t have a legal obligation to pay for this cohort. She still needs to get to a place of education which would require a bus regardless of the direction she chooses.

My DD realistically had the choice of three schools. Two meant bus fees of £1000+ every year because they came under a different council (were on the border). She chose the school she can walk to because it was her favourite. We were prepared to pay if she had preferred a different school. That was our burden, not the state’s.

Subsidised school buses due to parental choice is a definite no from me. You do need to own your choices. The comment about after school clubs is completely tone deaf.

Perosnally I don’t even think children should receive free transportation to special schools if they are already receiving PIP/DLA because the state should help subsidise the extra costs of their education and attendance, they should only have to pay for it once, not twice.

For a disabled child DLA often doesn't touch the sides. Adaptations to the home, therapies, special equipment and clothing, special foods - it is so expensive. Both parents usually cannot work full time.

There is NO WAY it would also cover the cost of a specially adapted taxi - and escort, many kids can't be safely put in a taxi without a 121 due to needing airways suctioned, risk of eloping etc - to schools which can be 30, 40 miles away. It cannot be compared to electing to send a child to a 'better' school. If there are less seriously disabled kids who "get a free taxi" around the edges of the rules or on a technicality then it's better than leaving the most vulnerable with no means to access education at all.

Campaign for better local provision or satellite special school "hubs" in towns and village if you must.

Just read the petition story. So you’ve chosen to send your DC to a grammar school and the transport costs (which you would have known before sending) you can afford but limits after school activities you can afford for your DC. No one is going to pay this, many can’t afford activities for their own DCs, let alone subsidising your when it is your choice.

I would rather focus on post 16. Our most disadvantaged pupils often have to travel further to find courses they can access/ met the requirements for and not all are eligible for bursaries if they are just over threshold, or sen is a barrier to local courses.

This is a real factor that leads to neets as people who might need that specialist course in something practical a bit further away simply cant get to it affordabley (or in some cases practically as they dont put in buses at all that woukd make it possible or the start times dint fit with public transport)

They really need to join up the you must do education or training with the we no longer gave to help you get there..

I don't think we need a subsidised school transport service. What we need is better public transport and free travel for children of school age. Like London.

I agree with you to an extent regarding the grammar school.

I would hope that all children were given an equal opportunity to go and would hate to think that whether they can afford the bus was a deciding factor. That said, I believe that there is already some funding available to cover this.

My boy just gets the public bus which at the minute is limited to £1. I think most kids would be able to do this unless they live particularly rurally in which case more fool you for not thinking ahead.

no the uk is nanny state enough.

I agree with you re disabled. However my friend whose child has ADHD was told they could have a taxi paid for to whichever school they wanted. I wholeheartedly disagree with this. He is perfectly capable of going to his local school. The idea that this situation is wide scale is nuts to me.

LOL no.

There’s more important things to spend money on than a bus service! This is way way down on the priority list!

No - it is best to use your local school or one within walking or cycling distance.

No, but I would support school bus provision for those aged 17 & 18.

As it stands there are dcs in rural areas who leave school at 16 simply because they cannot afford to get to school/college.

This would work and be great in other cities. I don't think it would be cost effective in areas that are more rural.

I was prepared to be persuaded by free public transport for children to discourage unnecessary car use, we have that in London for buses, not just for school runs, and it's really useful and builds independence. But not free coach travel because you've chosen not to send your child to your nearest school, no. There's already subsidised transport for sone circumstances.

Well considering I think the grammar school system should be scrapped anyway that would be a no from me. There are not many areas in the UK that still have grammar schools so this is irrelevant to most parents.

Local schools need to be good enough for all students to attend.

I would support subsidising transport to post 16 as a lot of areas require you to pay and some students have quite a distance to travel but are still required to be in education until they are 18.

I'd assume uni students are old enough to get themselves to school

@ThatFancyPeachCrow you got yourself a bargain! Ours is 1200.- term time only.

Where we are you only get a bus pass if you didn't get your first choice of school...assuming your first choice was nearer. That seems fair.

I'm not sure why you decided to hang this hat on the 'families whose children attend grammar schools, selective schools or other schools outside their local area', that seems an odd choice from the building an argument standpoint!

So we all have to subsidise transport, mainly for grammar school pupils, when many of us don’t live in an area where grammar schools exist? No thank you!

No, because public transport is free for under 16s here anyway so it's entirely unnecessary in my area.

Part of the decision making process when choosing secondary schools was how far away it is and what the journey was like. Cost would have factored into that if relevant. If you have chosen (IE not been forced by SEN requirements) to send your child to a school not in walking distance and you can't drive them there, that's on you to manage.

If you live in a area without good schools in easy distance that's unfortunate but not something worth implementing a nationwide scheme over.

I agree with this. Although bursaries are available locally the criteria are so tight many don’t qualify but still struggle to afford travel.