Tot’s 36-mile school walk ‘unacceptable’
A MOTHER walks 36 miles a week to get her four-year-old daughter to school because of “unacceptable” transport rules it was revealed this week.
Currently, only children who live more than two miles away from their school qualify for free bus travel. This week Willington County Councillor Becky Brunskill urged her council colleagues to reduce that to 1.5 miles for scholars aged eight and under.
Cllr Brunskill cited the example of Jacky Richards from Willington whose daughter Summer was refused entry into her nearest school and now faces a 1.8 mile walk to Sunnybrow Primary.
Cllr Brunskill said the time spent walking acted as a barrier to Ms Richards finding employment and meant Summer was often tired during lessons.
Cllr Brunskill said: “For parents who don’t have access to a car and where a bus isn’t an option it means that young children spend the day at school tired or just don’t go as often as they should.
“Also a parents day is spent walking to and from school when they could be managing a household or going out to work.”
Cllr Brunskill said the council had already introduced free school meals and said: “There is no point in supporting parents in one part of a child’s education and not another.
“There would be a cost attached to this but this should be seen by members as an investment in our children and their education.
“We currently pay for 550 under eight-year-olds to travel to and from school. We are talking about investing a few more pounds in children who need it the most. The problem will be there this year, next year and every year until we tackle it. It will make an almost impossible situation into a manageable situation.
“Ms Richards doesn’t have access to transport and doesn’t have the family network to help her out.
“If we can’t do something for these sorts of families, we won’t be seen as a council worth voting for.”
Cllr Brunskill said she was not opposed to children walking to school as it was good exercise but insisted that more than 1.5 miles for under eights was too much of an unacceptable strain.
Cllr Brunskill’s motion was deferred while a full report on costs to implement the change is drawn up.