South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 14 January 1961
Two Hours’ Travelling Time for Scholars Rouses the Ire of Conisbrough Parents
Parents of some Conisbrough children attending the Schofield Technical School at Swinton are threatening to keep their children away because they are spending more than two hours each day travelling to and from school.
One parent, Mrs. Taylor, of 97 Park Road, Conisbrough, has written to Mexborough Secondary School’s Governors asking for a special service and last night the Governors agreed with Mrs. Taylor that something should be done for these pupils.
Mrs. Taylor said her daughter had to leave home just after 7.30 a.m. to get to school and often did not arrive home until 5 p.m. She also complained in her letter that the children had to walk from Rookery Road to the school—a distance of more than half a mile—and she threatened that they would keep their children away from school when snow and ice was on the ground.
The Chairman, Mr. R. H. Haigh, said he could sympathise with this case and he agreed that they should contact the Mexborough and Swinton Traction Company about the provision of a special bus.
Mr. G. Spurr, Acting Headmaster, said he had already contacted the Company and they had seemed very reluctant to provide a special service. A company official had pointed out that it was non-economical and the times were difficult, said Mr. Spurr.
“The children find they have to leave home very early in order to get to school in time,” said Mr. Spurr, adding, “And similarly at 4 p.m. the children have to form a terrific queue, which is rather dangerous.”
Mr. G. W. Shield, Headmaster of Mexborough Grammar School, said they had in the region of 100 Conisbrough pupils and if it would be convenient special services could be combined for both schools.
Coun. J. Wootton said that he was not surprised the children had difficulty in getting ’buses. “If the buses run as often as they do from Conisbrough to Manvers then they might as well stop it,” he added.