Inverclyde’s Depute Provost David Wilson said the money allocated for free travel to St Columba’s, pictured, was ‘grossly unfair’ on the secondaries in his own ward plus others throughout the district.

The money was initially provided to offset difficulties for St Columba’s pupils while the school was decanted at the former Greenock High in Inverkip Road while their new £15 million school was built.

It was thought that when the secondary moved back to its Gourock catchment area the subsidy would come to an end, but it is still in place — and will now continue for a further 12 months. Members of the local authority’s education and communities committee this week voted in favour of maintaining the ‘interim’ £150,000 grant for free transport for pupils for the third year in a row.

Council officials believe the subsidy has to stay in place for now as a result of legislation which means changes to school transport policy must go through a full review.

The council says this has affected their own internal review of the policy, but their position was called into question by Cllr Wilson.

He claimed that the real reason for continuing the St Columba’s subsidy was to maintain the school’s roll.

During the committee’s debate, he also unsuccessfully floated the idea that the subsidy should only continue if pupils at other schools were able to benefit too.

Mr Wilson said: “This is absolutely ridiculous.

“That makes it nearly £500,000 we have spent on bussing children to St Columba’s.

“What’s wrong with my pupils in St Stephen’s High and Port Glasgow High who have difficulties getting to school?

“This is full of complete and utter inequality as far as the five other high schools are concerned.” But the council’s education director Patricia Cassidy said legislation by the Scottish Government meant there must be a ‘full statutory review’ about any changes to existing school transport policy. It was pointed out that this process could take up to three months.

Ms Cassidy said: “We need to continue provision for the next academic year.”