Teenagers being driven to and from school

nanna8

Just thinking of a couple of friends who used to go to school on horseback and tether the horse outside the school. Now that’s a life well lived, I envy them.

My daughter’s job involves providing services for schools. One of the rural schools in her patch asked for and received tethering for horses as some parents bring their children to school on horseback.

I have often wondered why the UK has never adopted a school bus system like the US operate. It would reduce so much traffic and emissions and children could get to and from school safely.

nanna8 my DGS has to start out really early, ride his bike down to the road, catch one school bus then change to another one, but at least there is a school bus system now, although it takes about an hour and a half each way.

Just thinking of a couple of friends who used to go to school on horseback and tether the horse outside the school. Now that’s a life well lived, I envy them.

My children went on buses and trains and/or walked to school and so did I. My grandchildren are usually given a lift because where they live there is no transport and it is several kms away. When they reach year 12 a lot of kids, including my grandson, drive themselves to school and there is always a line of cars with P plates on outside the school. As soon as they are 18 many kids get a car here. Not like when we were young in any way.

M0nica

SueDonim Not an everyday event, in fact a very unlikely event at most schools. Like the school that found a crocodile under the floor www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60009983

M0nica
How did I miss that piece of news!

Even more reason not to go wild swimming in Wales

Pepper59

It might be easier for many parents to drop their children off on the way to work. If I collect my grandchild from school, we get the bus back to my home as I don't drive, they love getting the bus.

My Gdcs absolutely love going on buses when they stay here - preferably the front seats on top! I will take them on the bus or even 2 buses, when it would be quicker to drive, but it’s so much a part of the outing. And we have a fantastic bus service here in SW London.

They so rarely take buses at home, but do walk to school - luckily it’s only a short walk away.

Yes, breakfast club at 7.30 am but you'd only have 4 or 5 kids dropped at that time. The question us how many REALLY need it when alternatives like walking are available. It mainly applies to the younger children anyway.

M0nica, two of my grandchildren are dropped off early at 'breakfast club' on three days, so my daughter can get to work on time. Some kids are at breakfast and after school clubs - five days a week.

I knew a woman who would send her son by taxi if she couldn’t drive him to school, they lived under a mile from the school with an easy walk

The fact it was reported in the newspaper shows it is not a common place occurrence. I don't think reading that would prompt many parents to then decide they are going to start chauffeuring their 16 year old home from school everyday.

No, not an everyday event (I hope) but then we do a lot of things with an abundance of caution despite the chances of anything going wrong being very small.

SueDonim Not an everyday event, in fact a very unlikely event at most schools. Like the school that found a crocodile under the floor www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60009983

What we did when we were younger as in walking a very long way to school and back again is not necessarily what happens now, could be so many reasons as to why the parents drive their children to school.

I certainly wouldn't criticise parents for driving their kids to school on their way to work. A lot of them do that out of necessity.
What I was criticising is parents' inconsiderate parking which results in the school having to deal with angry residents, or even highways authorities over health and safety issues. It isn't the job of the school to sort out the parents in addition to teaching the children.

Maybe this kind of thing is why some parents prefer to drive their children to school.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-60008985

You didn’t specify teachers in your post, Monica so I was answering your questions in general. Most parents aren’t teachers so there will be a variety of ways of managing.

Most schools here have some sort of breakfast and after school club so that’s another option.

Daisend1

Beswitched.
I agree it is frustrating stuck in a traffic jam but is it our business to question / pass judgement when we cannot possibly know the circumstances why a child is given a lift to school when that school, thought of by others to be but a short walk from their home.?
I relied on my MIL and her transport help due to my circumstances even though my children's school was but minutes walk from our home .

I did make it clear that I understood there are some situations and circumstances where a lift was necessary. I was talking about the situation in general, which seems to be that a very high percentage of teenagers seem to be collected from sch by car nowadays.

It's many years since my DSs told me about "taxing" which is stopping a younger/smaller child and demanding money from them. I would imagine it still goes on. The name indicates how acccepted it was as part of the culture. Bullying still goes on. Even if they are part of a group there's the danger of fights. I understand why those parents who can drive their children to school. Unfortunately it isn't even an option for some.

... damn! "fairly frequently, it seemed"

Oh for an edit button - it appears to function without any problem on Facebook!

Blinko

There’s a new initiative in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, where adults stand in a spaced out chain along popular routes to and from the local school, so children who feel unsafe for any reason on their walk to/from school can approach an adult for safety. It seems to be receiving a good press so far. Clearly the school is within walking distance of homes. It does discouraging bullying and any potential mugging though. So far, so good.

What an excellent initiative!

Walking to school in 'our' day is a different kettle of fish to what is is now and I am not going to pass judgement on parents who drive their teenagers to school. There are certain routes and areas where I'd be doing the same.

I walked to school at age 6, but there was no bullying en route and the traffic on the main road I had to cross was nothing like it is now. There were, also, policemen walking around fairly - frequently it seemed.

Our cities and towns are quite different to what they were and if parents are worried about their children's safety for whatever reason I'm not going to criticise them.

SueDonim when you work in education flexible working hours are frequently not possible. Neither of them has an office based job.

Mind you things have been easier in lockdown.

Beswitched.
I agree it is frustrating stuck in a traffic jam but is it our business to question / pass judgement when we cannot possibly know the circumstances why a child is given a lift to school when that school, thought of by others to be but a short walk from their home.?
I relied on my MIL and her transport help due to my circumstances even though my children's school was but minutes walk from our home .

Visiting Australia and New Zealand a while ago now, there was a Walking Bus. Children were taken to a specific point and joined what some might know as a crocodile. The children all then walked to school together with some adult supervision. It worked well especially for primary children.

I go to DDs every Tuesday and Wednesday, catching the bus back at about 5.00pm. The bus always has loads of senior school children so I suspect not all teens have a personal taxi service. Maybe because in the NE where I am fewer people live in multicar families. It may be different in wealthier areas.

We had to walk to secondary school it was over half hour walk away. I walked my children to primary school fifteen minutes away. They took themselves to the same secondary school I went to which is over half an hour away. I only ever picked them up if we were going somewhere straight from school usually my mums.