Survey reveals lack of support for student travel co-payments
A recent poll posted on the Catholic Education Parramatta website suggests that many families in the Parramatta diocese don’t agree with the cessation of free student travel.
80 per cent of the 167 respondents to the poll did not agree with the NSW government’s recent move to introduce annual co-payments of $45 per primary student and $90 for secondary students using the Student Transport Subsidy Scheme.
The president of the Parents Representative Council in the Diocese of Parramatta, Anne-Maree Pletkan, said the government’s inaction to reform the scheme is the cause of the cost blowout, not the numbers of students eligible for free travel.
‘The scheme as it stands currently is inefficient and needs reform. Reviews of the scheme in 2002 and 2003 recommended introducing e-ticketing and altering contracts with bus companies to ensure the government was only providing subsidies for actual travel undertaken by students,’ said Ms Pletkan.
‘Families in western Sydney are already doing it tough and introducing a transport levy will only add to their financial stress,’ said Ms Pletkan. ‘We are calling on parents in all government, non-government and Catholic schools to contact their state members and make their voices heard.’
Executive director of schools in the Diocese of Parramatta, Greg Whitby, said he was fully supportive of the Parents Representative Council.
‘Many families are really struggling at the moment and we are doing our bit in Catholic schools to ease the burden on those families by reducing or deferring school fees,’ said Mr Whitby. ‘We hope the state government will also do their bit and listen to families on this issue.’
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