Local Catchment Schools Drive Inequality?

[KenR]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29505580

It seems that research conducted by Bristol and Cambridge Universities suggest that local catchment schools create inequality:-

Deciding school admissions on distance between home and school is a major driver of educational inequality between rich and poor, say researchers.

Expecting pupils to go to their local school means poorer children are much less likely to attend high-achieving schools, says the study.

It shows that the choice of good schools expands with greater affluence.

The "size of your mortgage" should not be the way to allocate school places, say researchers.

The study examined how families made choices between state schools - and why children from deprived families were more likely to be concentrated in the worst performing schools.

[onebigdilemma]

I only realised this when looking for secondary schools for my boys this year. They say you now have choice but due to transport costs there is no choice. If my boys do not go to our catchment school the next nearest school will cost £775 for school transport and the grammar is £940.....if they want to do after school clubs I have to find alternative transport to get them home.

I am a single mum and earn less than £200 a year more than the maximum allowance for PP so costs like this limit my choice and do influence my decision when looking at schools.

[Blueberrypie]

I hear ya! My daughter attends the nearest Grammar school to which i have to pay £950 a year bus fares ( that will be x2 if DD2 gets in next year). I kind of understand the need for children to go to a close school at primary age (or at least be given their nearest school as an option) but when it comes to secondary school older kids can and mostly do get on a bus, so there is no need for it to be on the doorstep or even for siblings to attend the same secondary, as school runs mostly stop after primary and buses take over. You wouldn't get declined a job because another candidate lives closer, if you can get yourself there i think you should have the same right to attend the school wether you live 2 or 20 miles away.