No bus seat, you're not a Catholic!
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Telegraph News
'Non-Catholic' schoolgirl banned from bus
By Nick Britten
Last updated: 8:38 PM BST 04/07/2008
A council has been accused of religious discrimination after banning a schoolgirl from taking its bus to her Roman Catholic school because she has not been baptised.
Jessica Millest, 15, will now have to take four separate buses to complete the 18 mile journey after her local authority banned non-Catholics from using the service.
She said: "Non-religious people are seen as non-entitled, so they are not allowed to use the bus as of next term. It seems a bit discriminatory to me that I'm not allowed on the bus because of my religion."
Jessica, who is studying for her GCSEs, has paid £120 per term to use the subsidised service to travel to St Mary's RC school in Lugwardine, Herefordshire, from her home in Linton but was recently told that from September Herefordshire County Council was removing availability to the 40 per cent of non-Catholic pupils at the 700-pupil school.
Her father, Simon, 46, said: "The council have said they are withdrawing that service because there isn't room and that parents are responsible for getting their kids to school.
"It isn't that I have an issue with - I accept that the buck stops with me - but I cannot understand how Herefordshire Council can use religion as grounds for not letting a child on a bus.
"I appreciate the council have to save money because everyone's making cutbacks these days, but I cannot believe the council can make decisions based on faith in this day and age - it's outrageous."
He said that his three children go to different schools and so he could not drive them and get them to school on time.
Clive Lambert, St Mary's headteacher, claimed the decision by the council could force his pupils away to other schools.
He said: "It seems a little unfair - particularly for poor old Jess who is half way through her GCSEs.
"If the situation is allowed to continue the parents who can't get their children to us will take them away from our school, which is wrong because they won't be able to take their children to the school of their choice.
"The council have said they need to keep costs under control, but Herefordshire is a rural county and you need transport. This will also put more cars on the road."
Rob Reid, the council's schools, planning and access manager, said: "We have reorganised the route to the area to make a more efficient service, bearing in mind the council tax payer picks up the bill for public transport, and as of September we won't be able to offer any vacant seats on the bus."
A spokesman for Herefordshire Council said it could save £22,000 a year by withdrawing seats for non-Catholic students, around 50 of which are affected.
He said those who did not merit free travel were allowed to use vacant seats on buses but parents were always told these could be withdrawn.
He added: “If a pupil attends a school on grounds of denomination but lives more than three miles away, it is the local authority’s policy to provide subsidised transport. In this case the parents chose to send their child to the school but not on denominational grounds, so consequently she is not entitled to free or subsidised transport.”
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Re: No bus seat, you're not a Catholic!
Originally Posted by Adrian II
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