Threat to free schooltravel for disabledstudents

John Roberts Education Correspondent

DISABLED students could be forced to pay hundreds of pounds for their transport to schools and colleges because Government funding cuts have left a Yorkshire council facing a major shortfall.

North Yorkshire County Council is planning to axe the free travel service it provides to 16- to 19-year-olds with special educational needs (SEN) as part of budget cuts of more than 18m over the next five years.

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However, the controversial plan to charge students with SEN 330 a year for their transport would only actually save the authority around 70,000.

Campaigners warned last night that the proposals were “the first step on a slippery slope” and contradicted the coalition Government’s pledge that vulnerable people would be supported through the cuts.

The council is also planning to introduce charges for pupils of all ages who are transported to schools outside their catchment area for religious reasons, sparking fears that this could stop poorer children from being able to access a faith-based education.

The authority currently provides the free transport service to 1,654 pupils across the county.

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North Yorkshire is the first authority in the region to announce potential school transport cuts in light of the spending review. It needs to make savings of more than 18m from its children and young people’s service budget by 2015.

Bradford Council’s executive member for children and young people, Ralph Berry, said his authority’s ability to provide free transport to pupils going to faith schools outside their catchment area was also likely to come under “extreme pressure”.

The proposals in North Yorkshire, on which there will be consultation until January next year, could be introduced by 2012.

Barbara Waters, chief executive of the disability charity Skill, said: “I would be very concerned if the charges on students with SEN were introduced. The Government has said it is committed to protecting vulnerable people from the effects of the spending cuts.

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“These students do not have a choice about being disabled and I do fear that introducing charges like this would be the first step on a slippery slope.”

The charity has also voiced concerns that charging learners with SEN the same annual 330 rate paid by other 16- to 19-year-old students would not take into account that people with learning difficulties often need to stay in education longer.

There were 221 students with SEN who received free transport to school or college in North Yorkshire in June this year.

The authority’s executive member for children and young people’s services, Coun John Watson, said: “It is only a proposal that is out to consultation. It is only expected to save 70,000 and if we decided not to do this it would not be earth-shattering but I do think we have to look at areas like this.”

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The latest figures show North Yorkshire County Council provides free transport to 1,137 secondary school pupils who attend faith schools outside their local area.

The Rev Clive Sedgewick, the education director for the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, which runs Church of England schools in North Yorkshire, said he believed the council’s proposals did not take into account the full impact of charging pupils for transport to attend religious schools.

He was concerned that the policy could affect pupil numbers at both faith and non-faith schools and that it could mean children from some backgrounds might not be able to afford to attend their choice of religious school.