Who pays for transport cost when son attending college one day a week (age 14-16)?

Georgiegirl256

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

I don't really understand the question... why can't you fund the transport to college?

He is your child and he will be doing something he wants to do.

Why do some parents automatically expect everything to be provided for them?

Because a lot of local authorities pay for the student to have a buss pass.

I was at College from the age of 16 to 19, and each year I got a buss pass that covered my travel (bus travel, by train we got a discount but it wasn't free) because I lived 8 miles away from the college. My husband who was there at the same time but was a mature student, also got some sort of travel subsidiary too.

So I think the OP was perfectly within her rights to ask the question, bit harsh to accuse her of being out for what she can get.

Tiddlywinks

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

So I think the OP was perfectly within her rights to ask the question, bit harsh to accuse her of being out for what she can get.

Oh yes, I forgot... it's all about 'rights' isn't it.... Never about responsibility - unless trying to offload it, of course.

Georgiegirl256

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Oh yes, I forgot... it's all about 'rights' isn't it.... Never about responsibility - unless trying to offload it, of course.

Anyone is perfectly entitled to ask anything. IMO the OP asked a perfectly sensible question. It never came across to me that she was 'expecting' anything, but rather 'might' she be entitled to help with travel costs.

Like I say, I got a buss pass, and we weren't one of the lower income families, nor were we classed as high earners, everyone regardless of income got a buss pass because our local authority covered it.

You've done nothing but have a dig at the OP, she came on asking for advice, you may not agree with what she's asking, but your posts are coming across with a distinctively nasty tone about them.

I used to find that I agreed with nearly all your posts and that you spoke a lot of sense, but I don't know what's up with you lately?

maman

liney wrote: »

The school are providing an option, well in advance, with the transport cost laid out.

If it not affordable then your son should take the other option.

Providing him with the oportunity to be educated is the school's responsibility, which they are fulfiling by offering him the GCSE's onsite.

From what the OP said, this vocational course is a better option for the boy than more academic GCSEs. Especially in rural areas, it's common for children and young people to be funded to travel to their nearest school or college.


It's a sad state of affairs that educational decisions have to be taken on financial grounds. It just seems to rub it in how the children of even moderately well off people have so many more opportunities whether it's buying into a catchment area, bussing/driving your child to a better school or sending them to Eton!!

ANNIEHAHA

Just like to say thank you for your advice and comments and for pointing out how people can be so rude when all I asked was a perfectly reasonable question.

This course is offered by the school as 2 GCSEs and are on the leaque table as 2 passes for the school when students complete the course. So it is in the schools interest as well as my sons. Rather than 2 fails in 'regular' GCSE multiplied by the amount of students taking the courses, thats a lot of fails and a bad reflection on the school, this is how it works in schools now.

Also when they ran the course previously a mini bus and staff were laid on for the students, I just wondered if there was help, obviously I do not expect it!

Tiddlywinks

ANNIEHAHA wrote: »

This course is offered by the school as 2 GCSEs and are on the leaque table as 2 passes for the school when students complete the course. So it is in the schools interest as well as my sons. Rather than 2 fails in 'regular' GCSE multiplied by the amount of students taking the courses, thats a lot of fails and a bad reflection on the school, this is how it works in schools now.

Also when they ran the course previously a mini bus and staff were laid on for the students, I just wondered if there was help, obviously I do not expect it!

None of the league stuff matters though. It's just muddying the waters. Are you planning on using that as leverage?

Your son can stay with the school and struggle or go to college for the construction training and be more likely to gain a qualification.

Isn't that worth the bus fare?

Spendless

Once you've established that the school is definately not going to provide or fund transport. You can start looking at ways to find a solution if your son wants to take this course. I suggest asking at the school to be put in touch with other parents whose kids are also taking same course and see what plan you can come with.

Playing a fair part in sorting it out with others doesn't mean doing an identical role. The other child who is on the course with my son, her parents don't drive. However Grandparents of this child picked them both up once (my husband dropped them off), we've used public transport to get to an evening event and they've let us use their family and friends railcard and I'm on the brink of asking them if they can help out with getting my youngest to school on the day of the next event whilst we take and pick up the teens.

Have you also looked in to what the travel costs are going to be if public transport does need to be used. There may be some sort of discount rate for students or a certain pass you can buy to reduce the cost.

jellyhead

My son was invited onto a similar course.

Initially a member of staff went with them on the bus, until they were all confident. It was always going to be parents who paid the bus fare, and walking wasn't an option because it would take too long. They told us in advance that we would be paying bus fare once a week, and it was also our responsibility to get our kids home from college by giving them return fare, a lift or whatever.

After a few weeks the school decided to lay on a minibus, but the reason was purely because students had to get up and leave halfway through their science lessons in order to walk to the nearest bus stop, etc. whereas a minibus could take them door to door in a faster time without their having to miss any of their other lessons. The minibus was free.

There were two vocational options - 1 was to replace 2 GCSE options with vocational NVQs at college and the other covered half of the curriculum (including those same vocational NVQs) for children who were identified as possibly gaining from this type of approach to their GCSE years.

If your child has been invited on, you might have more of a case for requesting help with transport. I suppose it's worth a try, but don't expect it. As far as I know parents always pay to get their children to the vocational college courses, and a minibus was only laid on for my son's year due to the time constraints, not money constraints.

jellyhead

I've just googled bus travel in Norfolk and found this day pass at £4 for a child http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/Travel_and_transport/TravelNorfolk/Buses/Tickets_and_fares/NCC073343

In our town there's a similar scheme for 11-19 year olds

liney

maman wrote: »

From what the OP said, this vocational course is a better option for the boy than more academic GCSEs. Especially in rural areas, it's common for children and young people to be funded to travel to their nearest school or college.


It's a sad state of affairs that educational decisions have to be taken on financial grounds. It just seems to rub it in how the children of even moderately well off people have so many more opportunities whether it's buying into a catchment area, bussing/driving your child to a better school or sending them to Eton!!

Perhaps a better option for the school next year would be to stop providing the option, then no one will have the opportunity to become upset.