Parents could be charged �200 a year for school transport

The local education authority is considering whether to charge �200 a year for transport to such schools.

Torbay Director of Education Tony Smith said nearly �500,000 a year was spent on "discretionary" transport, mainly to selective and denominational schools.

He said such spending needed to be re-assessed in a tough financial climate.

Considerable opposition

Mr Smith added that neighbouring authorities in Devon and Plymouth had already abolished free discretionary transport, and he suggested Torbay should follow suit.

He said a proposed charge of �200 to parents would equate to about �1 a day.

But the proposals have met considerable opposition from parents who have children at the schools in question.

Mums at Catholic Sacred Heart Primary School in Paignton, who are planning to send their children to the combined Catholic and Anglican Cuthbert Mayne Secondary School in Torquay, said removing free school transport would be wrong.

One mother said: "I certainly wouldn't be able to pay �200 for each of my children. They would have to go somewhere else."

Another parent said: "We want our children to go to a Catholic school.