Off The Buses

Seemingly some of Nanny's chums are a bit fussy about who rides on school buses. In fact they are so fussy that they check out your religion first.

No kidding!

Nanny's chums at Townsend Church of England School, in St Albans, are insisting that their pupils who wish to use the school bus must have been baptised. Syndi Jai, 11, a pupil at the school found this to her cost the other week when she was refused access to the bus because she was the wrong religion.

Ain't religion marvellous!

She was told that she could not catch the school bus from her home town to Townsend Church of England School in St Albans.

Her mum, Frances Wood, said:

"Syndi has been in a right state.

She is so anxious about having to go to school on the public bus."

It seems that other children are having similar problems.

Jamie Ankers, also 11, has also been refused a bus place (even though he is a pupil at the school) because he is a Methodist.

His mum Jean Smith, said she was originally asked if she would pay £230 a term for the school bus place.

"Then they sent me a letter at the end of August saying he didn't get a place."

Seemingly Townsend School is not the only one to use religion to segregate its bus places in St Albans, Nicholas Breakspear Roman Catholic School in St Albans is also doing the same (except they are banning non catholic pupils from their bus).

Nanny's chums on Herts County Council are backing the schools.

However, Cllr Cowan said:

"I cannot see it's the county council's job to divide children.

The school makes its own selection.

In a slightly different context

it's like separate treatment for blacks and whites."

Another example of religion dividing people.