Scottish Catholic Observer

From this school term, pupils who live less than three miles from a secondary school and two miles from a primary will not get free transport to school, a change that sparked protests from parents across the city. Concerns were raised by MSPs, councillors and parents that Catholics would be forced to send their children to non-denominational schools to avoid them having to walk long, unsafe routes to their nearest Catholic school.

Now, thanks to campaigning parents and concern’s raised over route safety, transport has been reinstated for pupils at St Bridget’s Primary School in Baillieston as well as those at the non-denominational Wallacewell, and for a number of pupils living in Fullerton Park whose ‘safe’ walking route took them over the M74 to Trinity High School in Rutherglen.

The transport has been reinstated until the end of  September, though it is unclear if it will continue beyond that point.

Irene McNichol lives in Fullarton Park in Tollcross and her daughter attends Trinity High. Along with a number of parents from the school she has been lobbying the council over the changes, and secured a meeting with Councillor Stephen Curran, the council’s executive member for Education and Young People, inside the city chambers.

The following Monday, they were told that the bus would be reinstated until September for Ms McNichol’s daughter—who has a knee problem—on health grounds, as well as two other pupils, and that others in the area would therefore also be able to use the bus.

She credits the persistence of parents in achieving the reversal.

Other parents at schools across Glasgow continue to fight to have the council’s decision reversed. South Lanarkshire Council met to discuss implementing similar cuts at a meeting on Wednesday which took place after the SCO went to press.

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—This story ran in full in the Aug 28 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.