Schoolboy denied bus pass, because he wasn't baptised

A pupil has been refused a school bus pass because he has not been baptised as a Roman Catholic.

Elliott Stewart, 11, was denied a free pass to St Leonard’s School in Durham because council rules say a child and at least one of his parents must be a baptised Catholic to get subsidised travel to a faith school.



His Catholic father Stephen, 48, and mother Treena, 45, an Anglican, did not have Elliott baptised because they want him to choose his own religion.

County council deputy leader Clive Robson said “Although a child does not have to be a Roman Catholic to attend a Roman Catholic school, he or she and at least one parent has to be baptised Roman Catholic to be considered for free travel to it. Exactly the same sort of criteria governs free travel to Anglican schools.”