Thurston Community College stakeholders fight for free school transport at meeting

Over 100 people descended on Thurston Community College on Thursday to reveal their concerns about the controversial strategies to cut free school transportation in Suffolk.The proposed

modifications would see children only receive transport to their closest school, which could see 3700 kids lose their totally free school transportation and have to pay or move schools.Thurston is set to be struck the hardest by the plans, with a loss of 812 trainees - over half of its current student body.A public assessment released in December, with people being asked to think about 3 options: to only offer the services needed by law, to enable those with totally free transportation now to keep it however not offer it to brand-new beginners, or to do nothing however cut costs elsewhere.

Headteacher Helen Wilson called a Stakeholders' meeting on Thursday night to permit the voices of those most impacted by the proposals to be heard and to encourage them to support alternative 3 in the consultation.Around 20 county councillors likewise attended the conference, which saw groups of moms and dads, instructors, students and parish councillors provide their case as to why the plans shouldn't go ahead.Mrs Wilson began the event with a discussion of the 'real costs' of the strategies, which the council at first said would conserve them ₤ 3 million.She said that, as an outcome of spending for additional buses, the council's cost savings would really only total around ₤ 200,000, including that redundancy payments at her school might total around ₤ 2.4 million in the next five years."The proposals will have a damaging result on our trainees, our teachers and our school,"she said."We have to inform the council that this alternative is not good enough. Let's continue to battle this together and I do believe we will win."Pupils and instructors from Rattlesden, Norton and Barnham Primary Schools, feeder schools for Thurston which would see

some of their students get free transportation to Stowmarket under the plans, then took to the stage to have their say.Georgina, a Year 6 pupil at Rattlesden, said:" It's taken me quite a while to make good friends here and the thought of having to go to another school and being split up from my buddies makes me feel afraid and susceptible. "If you do not listen to us now then you'll lose our trust and you won't get it back. "Moms and dads, Thurston trainees and parish councillors likewise recognized increased traffic,

travel expenses and disturbance to their education as being among their most significant concerns.At the end of the meeting, parents agreed to take part in a demonstration on Friday, February 9 and drive their kids to school in order to reveal how the propositions would increase the levels of traffic in

the village.Cllr Gordon Jones, cabinet member for kids's services, education and abilities, said:"We have already gotten a considerable quantity of feedback to the consultation, including a number of alternative tips for solutions to supplying budget-friendly home to school transport. This is greatly welcomed and will be thoroughly and completely considered by Suffolk County Council's Cabinet in June 2018."I would like to thank everybody that has actually reacted to the consultation up until now and encourage those that haven't to check out the propositions and complete the study at: www.suffolk.gov.uk/schooltravel by 28 February 2018.

This is an opportunity for all Suffolk citizens to have their state about how council tax is invested." See Friday's Bury Free Press for a complete report on the meeting.

Source

https://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/thurston-community-college-stakeholders-fight-for-free-school-transport-at-meeting-1-8366301

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