Welsh Conservatives have called for action on access to school buses following news that some families cannot afford to send their children to school as the cost-of-living rises.
A survey issued by a secondary school in north Cardiff has found that some children are missing days of school because their families are unable to afford the bus journeys. Only pupils who live three or more miles from their school get free transport.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Education, Laura Anne Jones MS, said:
It is deeply concerning that children are missing school for financial reasons.
It is essential that children are in the classroom where they belong – especially as Welsh pupils have missed an average of 66 school days due to lockdowns, more than any other UK nation.
It’s no good ministers just sitting on their hands – the Labour Government need to take urgent action and make sure that financial issues aren’t a barrier to accessing transport, for example by considering changing the distance requirement for free school transport.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Local Government, Sam Rowlands MS, said:
This situation is frankly unacceptable. This example is in Cardiff, but there will be similar problems across the country.
Local authorities have a part to play in alleviating this crisis, including looking at measures like temporarily reducing the distance required for free transport.
Not only will this take pressure off parents, it would lead to less congestion as buses rather than cars take kids to school, and children won’t have to spend long walks on unsafe routes.
Y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn galw am weithredu ar fynediad i fysiau ysgol
Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig wedi galw am weithredu ar fynediad i fysiau ysgol yn dilyn y newyddion na all rhai teuluoedd fforddio anfon eu plant i'r ysgol wrth i gostau byw gynyddu.
Mae arolwg a gyhoeddwyd gan ysgol uwchradd yng ngogledd Caerdydd wedi canfod bod rhai plant yn colli diwrnodau ysgol am nad yw eu teuluoedd yn gallu fforddio'r teithiau bws. Dim ond disgyblion sy'n byw dair milltir neu fwy o'u hysgol sy'n cael cludiant am ddim.
Dywedodd Gweinidog Addysg yr Wrthblaid y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Laura Anne Jones AS:
Mae'n destun pryder mawr bod plant yn colli'r ysgol am resymau ariannol.
Mae'n hanfodol bod plant yn yr ystafell ddosbarth, lle maen nhw i fod – yn enwedig gan fod disgyblion Cymru wedi colli 66 diwrnod ysgol ar gyfartaledd oherwydd y cyfyngiadau clo, mwy nag unrhyw wlad arall yn y DU.
Nid yw'n ddigon da i weinidogion laesu dwylo - mae angen i'r Llywodraeth Lafur gymryd camau brys a sicrhau nad yw problemau ariannol yn rhwystro plant rhag gallu defnyddio trafnidiaeth, er enghraifft drwy ystyried newid y gofyniad pellter am gludiant ysgol am ddim.
Dywedodd Sam Rowlands AS, Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig dros Lywodraeth Leol:
Mae'n sefyllfa gwbl annerbyniol. Mae'r enghraifft hon yng Nghaerdydd, ond bydd problemau tebyg ledled y wlad.
Mae gan awdurdodau lleol ran i'w chwarae wrth liniaru'r argyfwng hwn, gan gynnwys edrych ar fesurau fel lleihau dros dro y gofynion pellter ar gyfer cludiant am ddim.
Bydd hyn nid yn unig yn tynnu pwysau oddi ar rieni, byddai'n arwain at lai o dagfeydd wrth i fysiau yn hytrach na cheir gludo plant i'r ysgol, a fydd dim raid i blant dreulio gormod o amser yn cerdded ar lwybrau peryglus.
