RURAL SCHOOL BUS PROBLEMS L OCAL education authorities ought in many
Page 29
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
cases to be thinking more flexibly and generously about the provision of school transport in rural areas, said Mr. R. E. Prentice, Minister of State for Education and Science, in the Commons last week.
Replying to M.P.s who had asked that this . service for youngsters should oe extended, Mr. Prentice said the Government could try to lower the limits of the statutory walking distance, which would mean that time would have to he found for legislation. If that were done there would still remain the local problems within whatever limit was sot, and they would be imposing on all local authorities a very large extra cost, which in some cases would not be justified by local facts.
It had been said that local authorities should get special financial help, went on Mr. Prentice, but it was the general grant formula which was unsatisfactory because: it was not flexible enough to deal with the whole range of problems, including this one. He hoped it would be replaced in due course.
He had been asked whether he would do something more within the existing frameworkâconsult with the county councils and have a survey, county by county. He would consider this very carefully, and thought there might bc something in it. But, warned Mr. Prentice, he would not hold out any hope of it at this moment, because if his department gathered information and gave general advice it would have to be within the general context. This was so much a local problem that whatever advice was given the authorities had to look at it school by school