GRADE 6 pupils at Westbourne Grammar are among those who will stop receiving a transport subsidy next year under changes to conveyance allowances.
The state government has altered eligibility criteria for the subsidy received by pupils who rely on private buses or cars to get to school.
Pupils changing schools, moving house or transferring from grade 6 to year 7 who already receive the subsidy will miss out next year.
Those attending private and government schools in Tarneit, Truganina, Point Cook, Hoppers Crossing and Werribee will also miss out after zones were changed to reflect alterations to the urban growth boundary.
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Students attending schools in Williams Landing, Little River and Laverton North remain eligible, as their suburbs are deemed to have inadequate public transport options.
Westbourne principal Meg Hansen said it was concerning that pupils moving to year 7 would lose the allowance even though they were attending the same school.
She said students would move less than 100 metres to begin their secondary education.
A spokesman for Education Minister Martin Dixon did not say why pupils attending P-12 schools would stop receiving the subsidy when they started year 7.
Ms Hansen said that without the subsidy to cover the cost of private buses, many students would struggle to get to school on time.
She said students, who travelled from around Wyndham and from areas like Melton, Deer Park and Footscray, would be forced to use combinations of trains and buses.
“Buses run at 40-minute intervals which is not acceptable when students are trying to get to school on time.
“We have to start our school day late already to get our buses here on time because of the traffic along Sayers Road. We can’t have students showing up at different times because they have relied on public transport.”
Wyndham students attending Bacchus Marsh Grammar will also be affected by the changes, after the government deemed parents could enrol students at closer Christian schools.
Principal Andrew Neal said the changes could force parents to withdraw students.
Opposition education spokesman James Merlino said the changes would hit students in growth areas hardest.
“The restrictions being placed on the conveyance allowance are just another mean-spirited decision that is hurting families across the fast-growing western suburbs. As a result, there will be students who will spend hours each day trying to get from home to school and back again.”
Mr Dixon’s spokesman said the allowance was designed to help country students get to their nearest government or independent school. Boundary changes were long overdue, with existing boundaries dating back almost 30 years.
