Protestant school pupils lose bus appeal

GOVERNMENT aspirations to allow for more diverse school populations have been branded as pointless by the principal of a Protestant school where more than a quarter of pupils have been refused a school bus service.

The parents of 10 pupils at Fermoy Adair National School were told on Monday that their appeal against the decision to withdraw their bus was unsuccessful. But they claim that the rules do not take account of the school being the nearest Church of Ireland school and their right to send their children to a school of their ethos.

The mother of two pupils who lives more than 10 miles from the school said that, although there is a Catholic school two miles away, she and her Catholic husband are entitled to send their daughters to a school with the ethos of their choosing.

“It would break my heart to have sent them somewhere that didn’t have the same inclusive Church of Ireland ethos I was taught in,” said the woman, who did not wish to be named. “We should be provided a bus service having met the criteria that there are 10 pupils living more than 3.2km from the school.”

However, the Department of Education deemed in August that because they did not live in a “distinct locality” that they were ineligible for a bus service this year. Parents have been advised that they could apply at the end of the school year for grants up to €900 to cover transport costs.

After their case was heard by the School Transport Appeals Board, however, parents were told this week that their appeal was unsuccessful. The board said the 10 pupils do not live in a distinct locality for the purposes of establishing a bus service.

But the mother said there is no new service being established as it has existed for almost 40 years. The parents and school principal Heather Smith say the distinct locality rule, which refers to children whose homes are at “scattered points” in a school district, is unfair in the instance of a school serving Church of Ireland parishes across 400 square miles.

“At the same time that the Government is having a forum on pluralism in schools, they are creating a policy that will close us down. If they want diversity, they should create policies that protect minority schools and not destroy them,” Ms Smith said.

The department said it would cost €20,000 a year more to retain the bus service but parents say the transport grant would not come near covering the cost of at least two round trips a day bringing children to school and home.

They have already referred the matter to the Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan.