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warren zevon rip wrote:

> Why "on her own" ?

I didn't literally mean on her own, just a figure of speech.

> What's wrong with you walking her to school? Or biking there
> with her? You have said that you are unemployed at the
> moment.

> Alternatively, if she is a bit cool to be seen with her dad -
> if all the kids in the same boat walk together...

The education board/schools have stated that any children walking to school MUST be accompanied by an adult, who is qualified, & security checked, in child care/protection with social services, due to the amount of incidents of child sex assaults over the last 12 months.

> I am still surprised that there is not some sort of pass you
> can apply for if you cannot afford this - is she on free
> lunches already?

Yes, I am unemployed (I fucking hate not working, there aint much work in this area, & most of it, you need a vehicle to be able to get to/from the job locations), yes, my daughter is entitled to free school meals, yes, she is entitled to a Free Bus Pass, ONLY if she lives more then 3 miles from the school. We live 2.57 miles from the school, so they said no way to her having a buspass, lots of other mothers/fathers in this area are going through the same problem with the school/education board.

The thing is, the issue over the Buss pass in NOT means tested, so whether you are unemployed, work at macdonalds, or run a multi-national conglomerate organisation, if you are more then 3 miles, your child/ren travel for free, if not, your fucked over.

Seems a tad harsh that Snakey, is there no way of applying for some sort of exception! 2.5mls, what about walking the .05 mile, then catching the bus for the original price..

Yeah, the thing is Mike, I am already have this problem with the Local Education Authority, & the School.

We live half way up a long hill, if we walk to the bottom of the hill, & go on to the nearest bus-stop near Junction for the A Road, that is approx the extra 0.43 mile to take us to the 3 mile limit.

I had already thought of that, the school/lea is strict, the address of each child is compared to a list of distances they have already worked out, so no matter where you plan to get your children onto the bus, they work it from your home address to the school.

Snake, walk her to school.

You'll get the fresh air, you'll spend time together chatting as you walk, with no TV to distract you.

Ask her about what she's doing at school, tell her what your plans for the day are, and then ask her how schools been when walking home. Even when it's pissing it down, a walk can be great.

She'll also appreciate a nice cooked meal for her tea after that long walk .....lol.

I mean, you did say you wanted to get in shape a while back, on another thread!

Alot of the parents have already started sending in appeals to the LEA, we have previously tried talking to the Bus company's involved, but they say it's the ruling of the LEA, so we gotta speak to them.

At the moment, all of us are waiting to hear back from the LEA, regarding our Mass Appeals at this problem, even the local Junior school, where our children have been attending, have offered to help, & they've spoken to the LEA.

Now, we just gotta wait, but from the conversation with the Junior School last week, they say our chance at the LEA changing their minds, is about 10-15% at best.

I, & most of the other families involved, are not against walking the children to school, like I used to when she was younger. My problem is the Principal of it, we're less than 1/2 mile from the 3 mile limit, so you would think they would take that into consideration, specially those family's in this part of the area, who are unemployed/low income.

Part of the issue is the cheek of how much they want, comparitive to the distance (compared to the cost/distance to go to Glousester city for 7 days), & the other issue, is they want a 100% increase in the fees for said travel fair.

I get you about the 3 mile radius thing........but there's got to be a line drawn somewhere mate! If it was a 4 mile radius, then people 3.5 miles away will be pissed off, a two mile radius would see people 1.5 miles away complaining.

It just is what it is I'm afraid.

Sam Slater wrote:

> I get you about the 3 mile radius thing........but there's got
> to be a line drawn somewhere mate! If it was a 4 mile radius,
> then people 3.5 miles away will be pissed off, a two mile
> radius would see people 1.5 miles away complaining.

Yeah I know, it's understandable that some1 will always have an issue, but the main bug bear to alot of people around here, those working & those not working, is the fact that it is NOT means tested.

What that means, if a family, who are working & their income is substantial, lives 3.5 miles from the school, they automatically are eligable to travel free pass (the application forms are given automatically in the welcome pack upon application to the school). Another family, for example, who live less then 3 miles away, who are unemployed/low income, are not allowed a pass.

Yeah I get you.

When did free bus passes ever come in anyway? I've never known anybody get free bus passes for kids to get to school, unemployed or not.

Must be a new thing.