IN denying a school bus pass to an 11-year-old boy because he hasn't been baptised, education officials have found themselves accused of religious discrimination.

The case of Elliott Stewart has certainly thrown up an interesting issue which we believe is likely to cause a stir well beyond the boundaries of County Durham.

Elliott's parents, one of whom is Catholic, wanted him to go to St Leonard's Catholic secondary school in Durham City. He had attended a Catholic primary school and it is understandable that he should want to stay with the friends he had made.

He was accepted for St Leonard's but has been refused a free bus pass to school because St Leonard's isn't his closest school - and he hasn't been baptised as a Catholic.

We can appreciate Durham County Council's view that Elliott has not been baptised into the Catholic, it is his parents' choice to send him to a school which is further away than necessary, and rules are needed to avoid a precedent which could potentially cause chaos.

But there is a clear anomaly between the school's decision to accept a pupil who has not been baptised, and the council's refusal to then grant that child the same privileges as his fellow pupils.

It is not by any means a straightforward situation, but on balance we believe that Elliott now has to be treated the same as his classmates.

We hope for his sake that a compromise can be found.