Scottish Catholic Observer

At a meeting of the executive committee in the local authority headquarters, the decision was made to increase the distance required for secondary school pupils to receive free school transport from two miles to three. The August 26 decision was taken amid a need for budget cuts, and follows on from a similar decision taken by Glasgow City Council that has seen months of protests, decisions reversed by the council, and claims from parents of Catholic school students that they are being forced to send their children to non-denominational schools as a result of the changes.

Parents gathered outside the South Lanarkshire Council HQ to protest against the decision, which will affect 1650 pupils. The council have made an exemption for pupils entitled to free school meals, and have delayed the implementation of the transport cuts until April of next year. Amongst the schools affected are Holy Cross High School and St John Ogilvie High School in Hamilton, Trinity High School in Rutherglen, and St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School in East Kilbride.

The revised implementation date came after recommendations made by Education Scotland during a consultation period. The consultation also found 94 per cent of respondents—1696 people—were against the proposals. One parent at Holy Cross said she had calculated that the change would cost her family £4000 in extra transport costs for her four children. One pupil said the council was ‘putting us all at risk,’ with another adding: “If I am a councillor when I grow up you will get the sack.”

The council claim the changes will save £800,000 a year.

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—This story ran in full in the September 4 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.