Choosing between’s children’s safety or education

Labour’s Budget to be considered by the county council includes a proposal to remove the funding for “Lollipop” ladies and men with effect from September.

By The Newsroom

Published 17th Feb 2015, 18:06 BST

Lollipop lady.
PICTURE BY MATTHEW PAGE — Lollipop lady. PICTURE BY MATTHEW PAGE

The annual cost of each crossing patrol is about £4,000 and in future this will have to be paid by individual schools. This is entirely unacceptable. Of course I recognise cuts are needed because of the financial mess left by the previous Labour Government, but there are other ways savings can be made without putting children’s lives at risk.

In effect, the county council is forcing headteachers to choose between spending their school’s scarce resources on the safety of children on their way to and from school or on their education.

This is grossly unfair; the county council is responsible for road safety and they should not be seeking to pass that responsibility on to the schools.

The Conservative Group will oppose this outrageous proposal and I call on the Liberal Democrat Group to support us in this quest.

County Coun. Ian Brown,

Clitheroe