Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The issue of transport as a potential constraint on educational choice amongst
poorer families has only recently been revisited by New Labour. Under the Education
and Inspections Act 2006, children aged 11+ from these families are now entitled
to free travel to a choice of three schools more than two and up to six miles from
their home and to their nearest school by reason of parents' religion or belief up to a
maximum of 15 miles. In addition children aged 8-11 from these families are to receive
free travel to their nearest school beyond two rather than three miles.
However there remains the long-standing conundrum surrounding the use of the
1870 walking distances to determine entitlement to free travel generally. Mindful of
the political hazards involved in seeking to tackle this issue head-on, the Government
has adopted a now favoured device of inviting individual LEAs to apply to become
one of a limited number of 'pathfinder' authorities (DfES 2007). These will have the
obligation removed to provide free travel for the generality of children living beyond
the statutory distances. Revenue raised from charging for their use of transport services
will be used to subsidise measures designed to encourage children living nearer school
to travel by means other than in private cars, i.e. as part of the Government's more
general programme for sustainable travel to schools (16.5).
Some groups have lobbied for a national network of dedicated school buses to
be available free for every child, based on the 'yellow buses' operated in the United
States. Such a system would greatly increase the financial costs of school transport
and weaken public transport more generally. On the other hand the system has an
excellent safety record and experience of yellow bus schemes already operating in
the UK shows strong parental support (LTT 420). In terms of conventional transport
assessment the resulting reduction in congestion, vehicle operating costs, accidents
and emissions, coupled with savings in the travel time of escorting drivers, would imply
a substantial economic return overall. One study estimated that a national scheme
for primary school children would cost around £184m a year but generate benefits 2.5
times greater (Sutton Trust 2006).
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