Parents angry as school bus service 'withdrawn'

PARENTS of more than 30 second-level students are considering moving their children to a different school because they say their bus service has been withdrawn by the Department of Education.

The students at St Michael's Community College, Kilmihil, Co Clare were told a year ago they were not in the catchment area to avail of the transport scheme serving the school.

But the School Transport Appeals Board said the Department of Education had not given them enough notice to make alternative arrangements or informed parents of the criteria for the boundaries and the service continued for the past school year.

When the same notice was sent this summer, the appeal board upheld the department's decision, leaving parents with a dilemma.

Carmel Martyn, whose daughter Marie is going into fifth year, said she was outraged the service could be withdrawn in the middle of their children's second-level education.

"We were never told when our kids started at St Michael's that the conditions were going to change midstream," she said.

"We live in Cree, six miles from the school, and we're being told that we're in the catchment for a school nine miles away."

Her son Joey is enrolled to begin at the school next week but, like many other parents, she is having second thoughts.

"These catchments were drawn more than 30 years ago and there has been no review of them since then, even though the rural population has changed and there are more schools in the area," Ms Martyn said.

Ms Martyn was paying €33 per term for her daughter, which will rise to €51 per term this year as she will be in senior cycle at school.

The rules of the School Transport Scheme stipulate that pupils who wish to attend a post-primary school outside the catchment area they live in can only be accommodated subject to space being available on the service and there being no extra cost to the State.

A Department of Education spokesperson said services have not been withdrawn or curtailed for eligible pupils for the school year beginning next week.

"While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the school of their choice, it is not the object of the transport scheme to facilitate parents in exercising that choice," she said.

"The department strives to provide the best level of service within the constraints of the resources available.

"Under the terms of the scheme the department's obligations are to fully-eligible pupils, and catchment boundary pupils may not always be facilitated."