Free education - not if you have a faith (Saffron Walden Constituency Liberal Democrats)

Saffron Walden Constituency Liberal Democrats <info@saffronwaldenlibdems.org.uk>

Free education - not if you have a faith

September 7, 2003 12:00 AM

School class. Liberal Democrats have accused Tory-run Essex County Council of betraying an historic right to religious education. They claim plans to increase charges for school transport discriminate against families who want their children to attend faith schools of their choice.

Essex County Council are proposing to increase the charges for Home to School Transport in the consultation that ends on 30th September. The proposals take no account of whether parents have chosen a school because of their religious convictions.

Lib Dem Deputy Leader of Uttlesford District Council, Peter Wilcock commented: "This move to increase charges to balance the books is at the expense of the 1944 education act which gives every parent a guaranteed right of free provision of religious education (or none) according to their denomination. The new proposals would introduce a charge of £300 per year to transport children to a religious school if that school was not their local school. This appears to be grossly unfair.

"We are constantly listening to Tories bleating on about choice, surely faith education is one of the most fundamental freedoms of choice for parents."

Lib Dem District Councillor David Morson from Henham said: "I have been approached by a resident of Elsenham, whose children attend St Mary's Catholic School in Bishops Stortford. This family has three children attending the school and, if these proposals go through, will pay £900 per year - This cannot be fair. I thought religious persecution died out in Essex hundreds of years ago. We cannot allow the Tories to bring it back on the grounds of cost."

Lib Dem Councillor Catherine Dean added: "If any parent is at all worried they should write immediately to Cllr Iris Pummell, who is the Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Children's Services to express their views before it is too late. The consultation ends on 30th September."