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AIBU

Teenagers being driven to and from school

(131 Posts)
Beswitched Sat 15-Jan-22 12:36:45

I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam near my home at about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. At first I thought there might have been an accident but then realised it was pupils being collected from the local secondary school.

Obviously there will be some pupils who live some distance away, and not on a public transport route. But this school is quite difficult to get into if you're not in the catchment area, so the majority of the pupils would live locally.

Just wondering why so many kids aged 13 to 18 can't make their own way to and from school anymore?

CallmeCalypso Thu 10-Mar-22 01:28:49

Selfish, entitled, lazy & rude yummy mummies. There’s a big car park 5 minutes walk away!

People are often in a rush to drop other children at a different school/nursery then get to work. The median salary in the UK is not enough to pay rent and buy food with only one working parent.

The world is very different from 40 years ago so have some compassion.

nanna8 Thu 10-Mar-22 01:40:22

Distance is an issue for my grandchildren because it would be an hour or so to walk. Plus you don’t know how many serial killers are hiding in the bushes.

Kim19 Thu 10-Mar-22 02:20:38

I trust that second sentence is tongue in cheek, n8?!

Calendargirl Thu 10-Mar-22 06:57:22

My GC are fortunate in living 5 minutes walk away from their grammar school, so no problem. Their house, however, is on a busy main road, parking is allowed, so there is always a line of 6th formers cars for the whole of the school day. My DS finds it hard to get out of their driveway when he goes to work.

NotSpaghetti Thu 10-Mar-22 07:04:30

There are rules about access to free transport. I can't remember them exactly but in England you used to have to be at a the nearest suitable school - which is your catchment area school. This means you won't get it free if you chose a different one.
Also, that school has to be more than a certain distance from your home - it used to be 2 or 3 miles up to the age of 8 and further if older. This is the distance a child is "expected" to be able to walk.
A bus journey may be offered at a charge for children who aren't within the statutory rules if the local authority wants to do it but they aren't obliged to provide this.

For info, "special needs" transport and transport to a grammar school is different.