Jan 26th, 2017
Boat Children Deserve Equal Access to Education
By Nicole G
Children up and down the country are having their access to schools threatened. A change in rules for people living on canal boats means that some children now have to travel up to 20 miles to attend school.
For years people who live on canals have had to move regularly so the best spots aren’t hogged by a few. But up until last year families with children could move up and down the same stretch so their kids could get to school each morning. That’s no longer allowed.
Pamela’s started a 38 Degrees campaign to fix this. The Canal and River Boat trust probably didn’t mean to make families’ lives more difficult, and they aren’t used to big petitions landing on their doorstep. So if enough of us speak out they could be convinced to do the right thing and row back these changes.
If you think that red tape shouldn’t get in the way of a child’s education, sign the petition today. It only takes a minute:
Here’s what a teacher from one of the schools attended by children who live on boats has to say:
“Children’s attendance is carefully monitored, and by law children are only allowed to be absent for exceptional circumstances. I don’t think that any of the laws that refer to boating were intended to make it impossible for children to attend a local school.”
The Canal and River boat trust’s role is to make sure that the rules on canals are fair to everyone. But on this occasion, they’ve made a mistake. Families who live on the canal are trying their best to have their voices heard. But they need us to stand with them too.
