View Full Version : Highland council hang your heads in shame
Crackeday
26-Dec-11, 18:40
Those that are responsible for the transport of kids to school at Highland council should hang their heads in shame. They have decided in their wisdom to cut busses within a 3 mile radius. The effect of this is kids having to change schools etc due to no transport. They didnt even give parents a chance to comment on it, not only is this impractical but its downright dangerous, what about kids having to walk home in the dark through busy streets etc at night? Or what about going to school in the morning with cars etc zipping about trying to get to work on time? It seems the education department at HRC needs to learn some education, I only hope no child is hurt through their penny pinching,maybe they should cut back on their own travel expenses instead of cutting the kids!!!!:(
Totally agree,i was raged when i got the letter through the door before christmas about my kids having to pay for buses to school,its damn right ridiculous,so u can pay £1 odd there n back everyday for each child n obv more if u have more than one kid,it fair adds up,hard enough as at is having money for their lunches let alone buses and if you dont put them on a bus they have to walk,well am sorry no way is my kids going to walk to school,especially when its dark mornings and nights.
I have to disagree with you on this one. If you want kids you should be able to afford all aspects of looking after then, including taking them to and from school. Why should others who do not want them have to contribute.
orkneycadian
26-Dec-11, 21:44
Which bit of "There is no money" is it that is so incomprehensible?
Kids and parents today are just spoilt, it is Highland Councils job to make sure your kids are educated. It is not their responsibility to get them there for free. It is your job as a Parent to make sure your kids get to school and arrive home safely ......at your own cost!!!. Some parents just do not take their responsibilities seriously and I don't know why they had kids in the first place!!
Well done the council for trying to save us taxpayers a bit of money, keep it up please!!
C3..............[disgust][disgust]:roll:
rogermellie
26-Dec-11, 22:00
it'll mean a few soaking wet kids on the odd day, but so be it, walk, cycle or pay for the bus.
but then why should the country kids get free buses ? their parents chose to live there surely ... :confused
orkneycadian
26-Dec-11, 22:26
it'll mean a few soaking wet kids on the odd day, but so be it, walk, cycle or pay for the bus.
Good lord Roger, thats a bit savage - Surely they should be entitled to a run to school in a Chelsea Tractor with DVD screens?
grumpyhippo
26-Dec-11, 22:28
it is Highland Councils job to make sure your kids are educated.
It a parents' responsibility.[evil]
It a parents' responsibility.[evil]
Yes I agree, my wording wasn't very good in that statement but I am sure most people will know what I mean, it's the councils job to provide the school and the Teachers. Parents job to get them there and make sure they arrive and dont bunk off!!
C3.............:eek:;)
Those that are responsible for the transport of kids to school at Highland council should hang their heads in shame. They have decided in their wisdom to cut busses within a 3 mile radius. The effect of this is kids having to change schools etc due to no transport. They didnt even give parents a chance to comment on it, not only is this impractical but its downright dangerous, what about kids having to walk home in the dark through busy streets etc at night? Or what about going to school in the morning with cars etc zipping about trying to get to work on time? It seems the education department at HRC needs to learn some education, I only hope no child is hurt through their penny pinching,maybe they should cut back on their own travel expenses instead of cutting the kids!!!!:(Would you like someone from HRC to come out and give your kids breakfast too?......
What is the difference in kids walking to school on the same streets that they play in or roam at night? If walking or running your kids to school is too much of a hassle for you to ensure they have an education that hopefully will benefit them their whole life, why not apply to educate them at home. Then they can watch The Jeremy Kyle Show and check Facebook every 10 mins.
A 3 mile radius is fine within a town, where there are pavements and street lighting, for a high school kid to walk.
No unsuitable weather just unsuitable clothing!
But not for a young primary school kid that has to walk on an unlit single track road that is deemed a 60mph limit without a path.
I actually kept my eldest child (primary 1) off school on the last day because her sister was unwell and had finally crashed out in my bed after being up at 4 am and I wasnt going to wake her after her being up most of the night with earache.
It wasnt the walk round to school on her own that bothered me, it was the lack of a lollypop person/zebra crossing etc over the main road (very fast road) just before the school that had me very worried as there is nothing to slow the cars down going through the village and little kids cannot judge distances and speed....I could have chanced nipping her round the road on her own, but then what would social services would have to say about me leaving a 3 yo and a wee one less than 2 alone at home?...I would have woken Euan but as Iona was sleeping too what was the point as I couldnt go anywhere anyway?
So the whole thing comes down to safety..is it safe for your kids to walk or is it just the distance they have to cover?
Last year it was the elderly having to pay extra to be taken to and from daycare.
Walking to school did us no harm, but then cars were a luxury in my day.
rogermellie
27-Dec-11, 01:35
check Facebook every 10 mins.
they can still do that at school, trust me...
back to dadie's point about the lack of a lollipop 'person' in watten... what's the story there, are the HRC not bothering to get one ?
i've wondered before if maybe some Watten parents/grandparents could get their heads together and volunteer to do the job, don't get me wrong, i'm no supporter of Dave's 'big society' freebie delegation gimmick, but after the necessary H&S, disclosure checks, risk assessment and lollipop stick handling training, could this be possible ?
It was deemed not needed....by the powers to be!......as if !
parents apparently take the kids that would need the lolly pop person to school themselves...because there isnt a lollypop person therefore no lollypop person is needed as the parents do it themselves!
But if there was a lollypop lady/man arrgh why bother!
Or even a zebra or pelican crossing........arrgh!
But saying that how many Caithness drivers adhere to the rules on a crossing...both kids have been on the crossings at the retail park and drivers either wait as they should or drive round them or keep going which isnt safe or allowed!..there is no concisistencey!
Would you like someone from HRC to come out and give your kids breakfast too?......
<snip>
Have the Breakfast Clubs stopped running now too?
rogermellie
27-Dec-11, 02:04
Or even a zebra or pelican crossing........arrgh!
But saying that how many Caithness drivers adhere to the rules on a crossing...both kids have been on the crossings at the retail park and drivers either wait as they should or drive round them or keep going which isnt safe or allowed!..there is no concisistencey!
a lot of drivers in caithness don't seem to understand the rules of a striped crossing, a bit like the roundabouts in wick
but to be honest, in both Watten and Castletown, the worst drivers i see speeding through the 20mph zones in the mornings are parents who are dropping their kids off at school !
i have to tip my hat to parents who walk their kids to school in Castletown though, there are loads of them.
I walk my kid to and from school every day and see the speeders through the village, yet on the day they have the speed traps see the flashers warning the speeders...they slow down on that one day......
I also walk to and from the nursery where there isnt any speed restrictions of 20 mph and the traffic isnt anything less ...and its a lot faster than the 30mph at the best of times..
I used to be able to walk to school by myself in primary 1 without the fear of cars...lollypop people to see you across the roads etc.....
How come our kids are not needing the same amount of care?
spech as cars are faster and drivers show less concideration to school kids..I would hate it to be that a kid is knocked down before they change the criteria needed for a lollypop person.
Crackeday
27-Dec-11, 06:17
I might have known I would get silly response. Of course i do not expect HRC to give them breakfast my point is the danger that this could cause to children. Have you ever tried walking a mile with a 5 year old? Its not that easy for them. It is a parents responsibility to get the kids to school but these services have been run for years and I for one made the decision which school my child went to based on that, as i wanted my son to get the best education and because i fall into the catchment area for all 4 wick schools put him to the North which is about a mile away.
Crackeday
27-Dec-11, 06:20
No one is asking for a "hand out". I am not asking people without kids to contribute,all I am saying is that HRC have made a decision based on cost and NOT on safety.
Every decision the Highland Council make is based on saving money. The warden not being replaced in Thurso has saved them a vast amount of money this year.... and don`t they always make these announcements just when there is nothing we can do about it. Deed done.
Alice in Blunderland
27-Dec-11, 12:18
http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/FD9125C1-8BFE-46AE-ABB4-3F1AD3FCC3FA/0/SchoolTransportPolicy.pdf
(http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/FD9125C1-8BFE-46AE-ABB4-3F1AD3FCC3FA/0/SchoolTransportPolicy.pdf)
For those who wish to check, this is and has been for a few years Highland Councils policy on school transport. There is a section on concessionary transport which you can apply for if there is space on the bus.
Did Highland Council not advertise for a school crossing patrol person and get no applicants for the post ? :confused
Its the public speeding that are putting these children most at risk.
In other village(s) the children have to cross a road on which the speed limit is sixty without the help of anyone apart from their parents.
No one is asking for a "hand out". I am not asking people without kids to contribute,all I am saying is that HRC have made a decision based on cost and NOT on safety.
So you are asking for handouts then. You want them you look after them simple.
The three miles rule is fine where you live in an area which has good public transport or even well lit paths or streets. Its a nationwide rule i think that children over 8 do not have a right to free school transport. In reality in most places EXCEPT the highlands people generally have a school nearby or access to public transport which will enable children to get safely to school.Its sometimes the case in the highlands a family living in a house two and a half miles from their nearest school in an area where there are no service buses. If they are outside a village there is likely to be no footpath or road lighting. One parent works and the other doesnt work or drive. Without access to school transport how will that child get to school? A long walk is fine if its safe but in the dark without footpaths and for three miles??????? If the buses are travelling that way why would they not take other children. This is the sort of policy which affects the poorest the worst. Parents with cars or money will pay or drive the children. Those without cars or who cannot afford to pay may either struggle or keep their child at home.
georgina helen
27-Dec-11, 16:19
do you have any children?
georgina helen
27-Dec-11, 16:22
do you have any children and how many . do you have a job as a lot of people have not. i would think again.
If you cant care/afford them responsibly dont have them.
how about this then. Everyone should have access to transport and everyone should pay. That way no one misses out.
The funding of bus services is a mystery to me.
I've heard that children currently at Bower Primary who want to go to Thurso High rather than Wick High will have to pay the bus company £50 a month after this summer. Yet a massive discount is offered for those in Thurso who want to send their children to Farr High School - monthly travel to Melvich for £11.25 a month! http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?110814-Farr-high-school.&p=829331#post829331
If you cant care/afford them responsibly dont have them..That is such a lot of twaddle. Like people's circumstances stay the same the whole of their lives. Honestly!!!!Maybe subsidised transport is the way to go for ALL children. Even those staying over three miles away. £50 per month is expensive though. If you have two or three its a bit steep. Hopefully parents will be able to group together to get their children to school.
That is such a lot of twaddle. Like people's circumstances stay the same the whole of their lives. Honestly!!!!Maybe subsidised transport is the way to go for ALL children. Even those staying over three miles away. £50 per month is expensive though. If you have two or three its a bit steep. Hopefully parents will be able to group together to get their children to school.
It might be twaddle to you but not me (my opinion). You all bat on about the state providing these things for YOUR kids. I choose not to have kids, i prefer dogs (my choice) I can hear you all saying. But I got them when i could afford them my circumstances changed did i get government hand out no i had to re budget to care for them. Just as you should for the lives you brought into this world. YOU have a responsibility not the government.
And NO travle should not be subsidised.
I say again if YOU want them YOU pay for them.
Hang on here .... You chose to have dogs cos you can afford them? You equate having children to having Dogs? What happens if you are ill, sick or your partner dies? What happens if you lose your job and cant afford them? Oh. Thats right, you can give them away. Or would you? You cant give your children away.
As it happens i take my children to school, i can do that. My eldest gets a bus Sometimes a school one sometimes a service bus for which we have to pay. Thats ok for me. Other people however may not be able to do that. I dont begrudge people a place on a free bus if it means the children get to school every day safely. No one knows whats going to happen in life and when they may need some help. In addition the safety of our children should be everybodies concern, even if you prefer dogs.
littleted
27-Dec-11, 19:39
best thing the council ever did..when i went to school i walked every day ..never did me any harm ...kids these days are spoiled rotten!
Hang on here .... You chose to have dogs cos you can afford them? You equate having children to having Dogs?
I would prefer to have a dog any day over having kids. Dont get me wrong if you want them that's fine with me, and I would not let anyone hurt a child. But as i said it's my choice and i will always look after them.
What happens if you are ill, sick or your partner dies? What happens if you lose your job and cant afford them? Oh. That's right, you can give them away. Or would you? You cant give your children away.
Nore would i give my dogs away Id share my last meal with them. But I would not expect a free bus to take them to the vets or for a walk on the beach.
As it happens i take my children to school, i can do that. My eldest gets a bus Sometimes a school one sometimes a service bus for which we have to pay. That's OK for me. Other people however may not be able to do that. I dont begrudge people a place on a free bus if it means the children get to school every day safely. No one knows whats going to happen in life and when they may need some help. In addition the safety of our children should be everybody's concern, even if you prefer dogs.
Well maybe a free bus pass should be means tested just as some other benefits are.
--------------------------
the Adams family
27-Dec-11, 20:11
Rogermellie would you sit in wet clothes for 7 hours a day in winter????you wouldnt
Mrs Bucket
27-Dec-11, 20:26
Back in the good old days there was bikes available for children more than three miles from school but our family and I know of quite a few others just missed out so tough we had to walk
the Adams family
27-Dec-11, 20:32
Mrs bucket with all due respect i think 17 miles is a bit far for a bike in summer never mind winter.they have money to waste closing down schools in wick which there is nothing wrong with and building new ones.....the good old days are gone so move with times.
secrets in symmetry
27-Dec-11, 20:43
The funding of bus services is a mystery to me.
I've heard that children currently at Bower Primary who want to go to Thurso High rather than Wick High will have to pay the bus company £50 a month after this summer. Yet a massive discount is offered for those in Thurso who want to send their children to Farr High School - monthly travel to Melvich for £11.25 a month! http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?110814-Farr-high-school.&p=829331#post829331The Farr thing could be based on special needs. I know someone who was moved to Farr after a couple of years at regular high school, and he came on leaps and bounds in just one year. A possible problem is that in later years there's not as much subject choice as in Thurso or Wick High Schools, and you may not get get taught by a specialist. There can also be "social" drawbacks at Farr.
I walked to school too but it wasnt five miles along an unlit, single carriageway A road with a speedlimit of 60 miles an hour that was frequently exceeded. Neither was society as aware of how many road deaths can be avoided. Today we know this and therefore we try to minimise risk. Rightly so as well.
SIS I think it might be to do with Gaelic schooling as well.
secrets in symmetry
27-Dec-11, 20:56
SIS I think it might be to do with Gaelic schooling as well.It wasn't in the case I know about. Do they teach Gaelic at Farr?
The funding of bus services is a mystery to me.
I've heard that children currently at Bower Primary who want to go to Thurso High rather than Wick High will have to pay the bus company £50 a month after this summer. Yet a massive discount is offered for those in Thurso who want to send their children to Farr High School - monthly travel to Melvich for £11.25 a month! http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?110814-Farr-high-school.&p=829331#post829331
That is incorrect just like most of the comments on the Org, as from the 12th of Jan 2012 it will cost £2.25 a day to send a child to Farr school and as for a special needs school some people just make me laugh....the reason people send their children to Farr school is a far superior education. I for one will not grumble to pay £11.25 a week for my childs education but I am fortunate because I have a decent job and only one child going to the school so therefore can afford to do so
It wasn't in the case I know about. Do they teach Gaelic at Farr?
They do teach Gaelic one the same lines as they teach French, it can be opted in or out once in the 2nd year
secrets in symmetry
27-Dec-11, 21:24
That is incorrect just like most of the comments on the Org, as from the 12th of Jan 2012 it will cost £2.25 a day to send a child to Farr school and as for a special needs school some people just make me laugh....the reason people send their children to Farr school is a far superior education. I for one will not grumble to pay £11.25 a week for my childs education but I am fortunate because I have a decent job and only one child going to the school so therefore can afford to do soSorry adi1, I didn't mean to imply that Farr was a special needs school - I know it isn't, and I know that Farr has achieved some of the best Standard Grade results in the country over a sustained period, so it is obviously outstanding, and will attract the attention of keen (or overkeen) parents.
I should have been more precise...
Some kids with "educational sensitivities" have been sent there because of the small classes, and because their parents believed - rightly or wrongly - that they would get more individual tuition, the implication being that the kid would sink (or continue sinking) in a big regular school like Thurso.
I wouldn't have wanted to be sent to Farr. I liked big classes, and I liked the competition they brought. This competition presumably isn't beneficial to everyone. As far as I know, the range of options at Standard Grade is pretty good at Farr, but it's not very good at Advanced Higher - as you might expect for a small school. What is the range of choices like at Higher?
They do teach Gaelic one the same lines as they teach French, it can be opted in or out once in the 2nd yearThanks for the info.
That is incorrect just like most of the comments on the Org, as from the 12th of Jan 2012 it will cost £2.25 a day to send a child to Farr school
I did not know that the price was going up in the New year. Can you advise what the current bus price is, please?
I agree with Dadie and Crackeday on this.
I am however very glad that i can drive so therefore can make sure my son gets to the school we want him to go to with no fear of him being hit by a car or is unable to walk there as he's too wee. I live in the mount pleasant area and he's got a place in playden nursery. A nice walk on a good day but not somewhere he'd walk himself for a few years yet. Also its miller we would like him to go to so its the same for that as well. Just glad i can drive.
I lived in castletown untill i was 14. Walked to the school in castletown since i was about 6/7 and i was fine. But then when i was young the roads were not as busy as they are now espcilly in thurso. Some people just don't know how to drive and don't care about the kids. Expereinced this personally when i was overtaken by another driver while the kids were coming out of the school. He zoomed ahead up to 30 mph with no care about the kids. It's idiots like this that makes it a worry for parents about their kids walking to school.
I do think however that cutting the buses to town for the kids is fine but not for a child that lives in a rural area and has to walk on the unpaved 60mph road. Thats not just me putting the responsibiltiy on the council, just simply not wanting a bairn to be killed for people to notice it is needed.
doodlebug
28-Dec-11, 20:32
I was interested to see some of the comments left here in regards to children in town having to pay for their bus to school, also how people think that country children get the bus free.
I live in the countryside of Caithness & I recieved one of these letters at the begining of Dec, which told me, as of Jan I would have to pay £51 PER MONTH - for under 16years old, & after reaching 16yrs would have to pay £94.50 PER MONTH.
So please dont go thinking that this only affects town children, because it certainaly doesn't!!!!
Kids and parents today are just spoilt, it is Highland Councils job to make sure your kids are educated. It is not their responsibility to get them there for free. It is your job as a Parent to make sure your kids get to school and arrive home safely ......at your own cost!!!. Some parents just do not take their responsibilities seriously and I don't know why they had kids in the first place!!
Well done the council for trying to save us taxpayers a bit of money, keep it up please!!
C3..............[disgust]:roll:
Oh Crackeday......Did I hit a raw nerve with post? Enough to give me a Red Rep? How sad that you think I have a blinkered view and it upset you enough to Red Rep me.
Never mind, at least I got a Green Rep for the same post so you could say it cancels your Red Rep out!!!
How sad !!!
C3...........[disgust]
Crackeday
29-Dec-11, 14:36
Oh Crackeday......Did I hit a raw nerve with post? Enough to give me a Red Rep? How sad that you think I have a blinkered view and it upset you enough to Red Rep me.
Never mind, at least I got a Green Rep for the same post so you could say it cancels your Red Rep out!!!
How sad !!!
C3...........[disgust]
Is your underline button stuck perchance? I merely gave you the rep that i thought your post deserved, thats what its for isnt it? Maybe I have hit a Raw Nerve with you because you have had to come on here and go on about your red rep!!!!!
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.