School which caters for children with special needs issues apology after insisting local cab firm on

A school in Ossett has issued an apology after it sent a message to a local cab company requesting that only a white British driver to be sent for the trip.

Highfield School, which caters for children with special education needs, sent the message while setting up a regular weekly transport arrangement with a taxi company.

As part of the school's request, it stated that the passenger “will not tolerate anybody who is not white British”.

As reported by the Wakefield Express, executive headteacher of the school, Peter Marshall, said: “We fully acknowledge that the email sent by the school was wholly inappropriate and we apologise for any offence that was caused.

“Our priority is to support our pupils, many of whom have extremely challenging and complex needs.

“Over 180 children from our school community use minibuses and taxis to enable them to access the highly-specialised teaching and care we are able to provide for them.

“We very much value and appreciate the service that all taxi companies and their drivers provide. “We have contacted the taxi company to apologise and explain the challenges and needs faced by the pupil the request related to.”

Co-chairman of Wakefield District Private Hire and Hackney Association, Wajid Ali, said that they always try to promote equality and diversity and all their drivers focus on keeping high professional standards.

He did point out that the majority of local drivers are Asian but stressed that "race or colour should not come into it."

He added that everybody is now feeling angry about the inappropriate request by the school.

He said: “It’s like going back 50 years. We are not living in a draconian era.”

Image: Source; Wikimedia Commons

Author; Thedmcmeister