HERTFORD - 17 July 2006 - 625 words
Herts: all faiths rally together to save school transport
Many hundreds of parents and children will join faith leaders in a mass lobby of Hertfordshire County Councillors tomorrow (18 July) to urge them to reject a plan to end free transport to faith schools. The lobby will take place immediately prior to a meeting of the County Council which will vote on the controversial proposal, which has been fiercely opposed by Catholic, Anglican and Jewish communities in Hertfordshire. Faith leaders taking part include Catholic Bishop James O'Brien, Anglican Bishop Christopher Foster and Rabbi Arial Abel.
Catholic schools from throughout Hertfordshire will be sending over 30 coaches and minibuses to the lobby which will start at around 9.50am at Hertfordshire County Hall, Peggs Lane, Hertford. The lobby will be preceded at 9.30am by a multi-faith prayer service which will be led by representatives of Catholic, Anglican, Jewish and Hindu faiths. The County Council meeting will start at 10.30 am. Any decision made by the County Council will need to be ratified by a meeting of Hertfordshire County Council's Executive Cabinet which will take place on 24th July.
In opposing the proposal to end free transport to faith schools, faith communities have highlighted the very significant financial contribution parents of children at faith schools make to the upkeep and development of school buildings. Faith schools are required to finance 10% of such costs themselves with the remainder coming from direct grants by central government. This saves Hertfordshire County Council several million pounds of expenditure each year, which would otherwise be its responsibility, were these schools community schools.
In a public consultation held recently by Hertfordshire County Council, an overwhelming majority of respondents rejected the proposal; out of 18,984 responses, 15,667 were against the ending of free faith transport.
Bishop James O'Brien will be one of a number of petitioners against the proposal who will be allowed to speak in the Council Chamber on 18th July. He said: "Catholics are particularly affected because of the large number of our state schools in the County of Hertfordshire which has 36 Catholic Primary Schools and seven Secondary Schools. These schools were built with the expectation that transport subsidies would continue to be available.
"If transport funding for faith schools were to be abandoned our poorer families the very ones whose need is greatest will not be able to afford the cost of transport. There is then a real possibility that some faith schools will have to close as fewer pupils would be able to attend them. If this were to happen, Hertfordshire County Council would have to provide new places in other schools at great cost.
" The existing system of subsidised transport to faith schools has worked well for over 70 years," continued Bishop O'Brien. "It would be incredibly short sighted to endanger it now when everyone agrees that our society and our children need and deserve the very best education achievable."
Paul Barber, Director of Education for the Archdiocese of Westminster said: "Hertfordshire County Councillors should reject the proposal to abolish free home to school transport for faith schools. If enacted, it would impose an unjust tax on the parents of children attending faith schools who already pay for the upkeep and development of their schools. It would also go against central government advice that established transport links should, wherever possible, be maintained.
"It is also important that County Councillors think through the consequences for the environment which would result from this proposal. Inevitably, it would lead to more children being driven to school in cars, significantly increasing the congestion on Hertfordshire's roads and contradicting the Council's policies to reduce congestion, improve road safety and meet environmental targets."
Source: Archbishops House
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