Central Bedfordshire councillor Hayley Whitaker doesn’t believe her council should be cutting spending or services. She had recently declared her own council to Ofsted over cuts to school transport services which she says put the safety of pupils with special educational needs at risk. The report comes on the heels of the council’s recently adopted advocacy priorities for the Autumn term. These bureaucratic changes have removed critical support for students in the event of transport delays.
Central Bedfordshire Council has implemented changes that have eliminated viable transport alternatives. Under these changes, students who rely on these services to make the long, treacherous daily trip to school are suffering. Under the new policy, some students now face a single pick-up time of 16:30, leading to concerns about their safety and well-being.
Whitaker called out the scam for what it was. The council knew for at least ten days that students would be abandoned ineligible for support for up to four hours. On Tuesday morning, many students chose not to come to class, brimming with fear and uncertainty. They didn’t know when or where they would be picked up after school. This lack of communication and evident planning has parents and education advocates reeling with concern.
“Every single child has to be treated differently,” Whitaker stated, emphasizing the unique needs of students with special educational requirements. She was angry that the council would not listen to her issues. This indecisiveness even prompted her to take the matter up to Ofsted.
“I got no response and so I did.” – Hayley Whitaker
Mark Tripp, chair of the governing body of Ivel School and College, expressed his fears as a parent. He shamed the council over the huge chaos the transport changes have brought. He noticed that special needs students were waiting at school for hours. Without that support, their anxiety and frustration grew exponentially.
After a four-hour delay, the bus showed up to pick up each of those stranded students. As a result, this incident has riled up parents and guardians alike. Thousands of people have been asking how this horror was allowed to occur. They worry that proper safeguards are not in place to protect the most vulnerable children.
Amana Gordon, director of children’s services at Central Bedfordshire Council, extended an apology for the lack of response to Whitaker’s initial complaint and acknowledged the distress experienced by affected families.
“We regret for the experience of those children who had disruption to their transport.” – Amana Gordon
Central Bedfordshire’s children’s services scrutiny committee has been leading the way on this. Members passionately brainstormed possible solutions to ensure such a tragedy does not happen in the future. The council is under mounting pressure to change its transport policy. Lastly, it should be making sure that all of our students have a safe, dependable way to get an education.
