Gold Coast’s 28,000 high school students still face tough means testing for free school travel despite the state government announcing an $11.8 billion education budget this month.
To be eligible for free school travel under the existing School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS) secondary school students must live more than 4.8kms from their nearest school compared to 2.9kms in NSW.
Robina High School teacher Lisa Armitage said that school travel was a contributing factor in student absentee rates, which are almost 10% for the region.
“The criteria for free school travel is too strict,” Ms Armitage said.
“Most of our student’s do not meet it, and having to walk nearly five kilometres in our extreme weather is unreasonable,” she said.
To be eligible, families must also hold a Health Care Card, Pensioner, or Veterans’ Affair Pensioner Concession cards.
NSW families have no concession requirements for free school travel.
“Families are struggling under cost of living pressures, and paying for school travel is just one more expense,” Ms Armitage said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education, Training and Employment said that school travel was only one aspect of absenteeism.
“Absenteeism is due to many reasons including sickness,” the spokesperson said.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads administers STAS.
Highlights of the Queensland Government 2014 School Education Budget.
Youth on the Go 