Wales is ‘failing’ children by expecting them to do one thing most adults would never consider. Lack of free school transport is fuelling the school absence crisis, according to the Children’s Commissioner. Rocio Cifuentes raised concerns about children walking long distances to school, with some even walking three miles before the school day begins. She highlighted a case where a disabled mother expressed heartbreak over her children having to walk over five miles daily as their free school transport ended when they moved to secondary school. The commissioner criticised the Welsh Government for not providing children with stronger legal entitlements to meet their basic needs and human rights.
Under current law, primary school children are entitled to free transport if their walk to school is four or more miles total, increasing to six or more miles for secondary school children. The commissioner pointed out the stark contrast in expectations between children and adults, stating that adults are not required to make the same efforts to get to work. Caerphilly Council, in a bid to save £1.5 million annually, is considering reducing its free transport offer, affecting all mainstream English, Welsh, and faith primary and secondary schools. The proposed changes would increase the minimum distance for primary school students to qualify for council transport.
Cifuentes noted that while some families can afford transport or provide lifts to their children, many cannot. She highlighted how the financial burden disproportionately affects the least well-off families and impacts attendance rates in schools. Referring to a recent report by Estyn on attendance issues in Welsh schools, the Children’s Commissioner questioned how inadequate school transport entitlements align with efforts to address child poverty and improve attendance rates. She also highlighted concerns raised by other commissioners about the impact on access to Welsh language education and learner travel costs for older teenagers.
The Welsh Government stated that local authorities are responsible for providing learner transport in Wales. While there is no statutory duty for free transport for post-16 learners, various schemes offer discounted and free travel options. Cifuentes criticised the Welsh Government’s review of the Learner Travel measure earlier in the year as inadequate, failing to address the pressing issues with school transport. She warned that without clear action, more young people would face long, tiring walks to school or might not attend at all, impacting their education and well-being. Concerns have been raised about transport costs affecting attendance and contradicting efforts to tackle child poverty.