DEVON’S 16-year-olds are being told they will have to prove they need help to get to sixth form or vocational college under new rules imposed by Devon County Council.

Parents and colleges across the county have urged the county council to think again because of the feared impact of the change on discouraging youngsters from getting the best education they can locally.

Liberal Democrats in Devon said the ruling Conservatives on Devon County Council ignored these concerns and voted through new measures which say youngsters will need ‘evidence that they could not access education or training without support b

ing given’. And support would not be given ‘even where using the family vehicle would be an inconvenience for the family’.

Cllr Alan Connett, leader of the Liberal Democrat team on the council, said: ‘Devon is yet again penalising young people and mainly rural families with this new policy. The Government requires young people to stay in education or training until they are 18 but is not giving any more money towards school transport costs.

‘And while colleges have an allocation to help with education costs for poorer families, they are worried the demand will be greater than the funds available and a whole new set of red tape will be needed for youngsters who need getting to college.’

In a report to the county council cabinet last week, Conservative councillors agreed to remove the current automatic entitlement to transport for post-16 students.

Alan King, business manager at Okehampton College, told the council that the new policy could lead to existing school buses running with empty seats that sixth formers could be using.

He said: ‘On the point that parents can provide or arrange lifts for their post-16 child, can we ask if this is a serious option or simply an alternative suggestion someone at County Hall thought of?

‘It is true that most of our families do have access to a private car but for the majority it is one car per household and this is used for the main breadwinner to travel to work.’

The hardship caused by the new rules is the real concern for Cllr Connett and the Liberal Democrats who fear it will now be almost impossible for young people to get help from the county council if they need to get to college for their studies.

Cllr Connett added: ‘This is a re-run of the axe the council planned to take to the county’s lollipop school crossing patrol service and does nothing to support Devon youngsters getting to school.’

Devon County Council’s cabinet member for schools James McInnes said: ‘We are writing to the Government and our MPs to lobby them to increase funding for post-16 transport. They recommended young people should stay on in education, employment or training and then forgot to fund it.

‘Our school transport budget is already over £21.5-million — one of the highest in the country. It’s heading for an overspend of £1-million this year and we have to find savings.

‘Colleges and schools with sixth forms already receive bursary funding from the Government to help low income families with travel costs.

‘Students should make use of this first and Devon will then provide support to the most vulnerable students.’