TEENAGERS with special needs have been told they won’t be given free transport to colleges.
Dreams of going to colleges of their choice are being dashed by Northumberland County Council red tape.
Twenty special needs youngsters wanting to go on to further education outside the catchment area of Northumberland are being told free transport won’t be made available to take them there.
But if they changed their minds and went to a college within the county, they could get a taxi door to door – paid for by the council.
The move has infuriated parents whose sons and daughters have aspirations to go to colleges of their choice, and are appealing against the decision.
Tony Rogers has chosen Newcastle College but has been told transport won’t be made available to him.
Tony’s mam Pamela Keers, of Chester Hill, Cramlington, is leading the fight. She said: “Tony really wants to go to Newcastle College because the course on vocational skills and horticulture suits his needs.
“Tony has been a pupil of Collingwood Special School in Morpeth and every day would get taken by mini bus. Now he is 18 he needs to move on to college. He has special needs and Tony is vulnerable. He couldn’t get a public transport bus into Newcastle himself and then get to the college.
“He needs a taxi, just like he would have done if he went to Northumberland College in Ashington.
Mrs Keers is now contacting Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell with her concerns.
Toni Barclay, 42, of Blyth, has a son Chris, who is due to turn 18 at the end of the month. He wants to go on the vocational skills and horticultural course at Newcastle College.
Toni said: “Chris has cerebral palsy and has hearing and speech problems. Newcastle has a bigger deaf scene which would help Chris in his independent living. Newcastle is definitely a better choice for us.”
Alison Durham 44, of Amble, has an 18-year-old son Joe, who suffers from autism.
She said: “Joe wants to go to North Tyneside Metropolitan College on a bridging vocational course which teaches him life skills. It is perfect for Joe, and his teachers at Collingwood Special School have said this is the right course for him.
A Northumberland County Council spokesman said: “In line with our Post 16 Transport Policy, Tony’s application for free transport to Newcastle College has been rejected as his subjects can be undertaken at Northumberland College in Ashington which is closer to where he lives. If he did choose to study this same course of study at Ashington he would be granted free transport by Northumberland County Council in line with its student travel scheme.
“There are 20 students who are in a similar position to Tony in the sense that they haven’t met the eligibility criteria for free transport as outlined in the Council’s Post 16 Transport Policy. They are all entitled to appeal and the first appeal hearing is in fact being held on Thursday, August 4.”
