To think that not ALL these parents need to drive their kids to school?

[SecretSquirrell]

"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034420/Chaotic-scenes-Birmingham-junior-school-caused-dozens-parents-collecting-children.html"

Today I have driven to pick up DD from school which is 3 minutes walk away (catchment school). The reason is that I have to then collect DS from his school (also catchment and the closest to us and we live in a densely populated town) which is 20 minutes brisk walk away and finishes 20 minutes after DD's school (not even allowing for days like today's where she is 5+ minutes late out). DD is 5 and does not "do" brisk walking pace for that distance (and then a further 1.5miles home). Nor is she a sufficiently accomplished cyclist to navigate the very steep hill in the way (yet - we are working on it). School regularly suggests people should walk/cycle to school but doesn't make it easy for us to do this! We do share journeys with other parents on some days which helps. I really hate driving but can't see the alternative. And, as I said, these are our local schools.

How old is your DS though? Is he old enough to walk and meet you half way or even all the way home?

When DD was at primary school there wasn't much space to park near the school without causing a nuisance. However, a nearby church said that parents were welcome to use their quite large car park for pick up and drop off. The church car park was only about 5 minutes walk from the school.

Many parents did use it but there were still large numbers of parents whoinsisted on trying to squeeze in near the school gates thus blocking in residents at the nearby flats, obstructing the bus turning circle and generally making it more dangerous for other parents and their children to negotitate the last stretch of road before the school gates.

The school sent letters home time and again. They even occasionally had police there talking to badly parked mootorists and moving them on. But nothing seemed to make a lasting difference. Some people just are too idle to walk a few hundred yards.

It makes me laugh at DS's school. There are 3 car parks one of which is across the road and requires you to go over a bridge to get to the school. The 2 on the school side are always completely full, I once saw an idiot man stop the traffic for 10 mins as he plonked himself waiting for a space in the middle of the road.
Yet the one on the other side generally has spaces or I can park a street away (which I do on the times when I cycle into work after dropping DS off) and there is hardly anyone there.

One of the reasons we went private as the local school that is within 1/2 mile safe walk with no major roads to cross is not in our catchment area, the school that is 2 miles away across dangerous intersections is.

I hardly ever get judgey about anything in the world but one thing I do hate is car drivers who do this. Why? You see people driving round the corner to the shops, end of the street to school. I really dont get it. Its selfish for a start as people cant get out their houses, its dangerous for children walking to school as its so rammed, its a bad example, its lazy and means there are more car emmisions. The schools send letters but no one listens

I think there is a lot of pressure put on parents to pick up/take their children everywhere nowadays.
I saw a child in year 5 being picked up from school by her mother. She lives next door but one to the school, I couldn't believe it tbh.
It is a nightmare at my dd's school. I have to drive on a morning because I then go straight to work but just trying to drop her off is getting increasingly difficult. Before then we walked, but we were in the minority.

We didn't get into our nearest school, because it has a good reputation. We got allocated a school further away. ATM we are walking, but when the weather gets bad that might change. The parking around the school is horrendous but I can only assume that's because others are in the same position- their kids aren't good enough for the oversubscribed school they live closer to and they have to drive to have time to get to work.

1. This is 2011, not 1978, or the 80s or whenver it was back in your day.

2. Many people have been allocated school places that are not near where they live.

3. More and more people have to work, even if they are a two parent home, and have to be there at a certain time, it's cheaper to run a car than take several people on public transport, so they drive.

Times change, folks. Great if you live in a nice village where everyone sings Kumbayah and rides horses for transport, good for you.

Not everyone lives in that world.

Some rural schools are only able to stay open because people drive.

Our two nearest schools, catchment children - 6 this year, reception intake 27, and catchment children 4 reception intake 24.
Only catchment children could walk to school as they are in the villages and all other children are at least 3 miles away.
Therefore if less parents drove these small rural schools would merge or close.
There are parking difficulties and residents occasionaly complain to the schools who then notify the parents.
I think in these areas residents ought to be more grateful that parents are driving their children to school, it is only for a few mins a day, keeps village life viable and provides kiddies to dance round the obligatory maypole !!

I remember when I was at primary all those years ago the end of the day was staggered. Infants finished 15 minutes before the juniors. Doesn't help much at the beginning of the day but it would ease congestion in the afternoon. And it doesn't have to lengthen the school day as in many schools the infants get a longer lunch break which could be shortened to accommodate the earlier finish time.

Rosemary - I live in that type of village and I am aware that people coming from miles away need to drive. It's not as if we have a public transport system here .
My beef is with those who can easily walk and choose not to.

I agree. Our village school was in just that situation a few years ago - falling numbers and council plans to merge with another school 7 miles away.

TBH it's a pain to have to put up with the posh mummies in their 4x4s racing out of the the village after collecting or dropping their child off (and to hell with anyone who is crossing or walking down the lane) it means our school can stay open.

I don't see the point about city children having to go to a school further than their nearest one.

Surely if you live near to a school then you are in that school's catchment area and would not have to go to one further away?

I know there are always exceptions and everyone will have a god excuse reason for driving to school but looking at that photo again I thing the OP's comment is quite right: " not ALL these parents need to drive their kids to school "

I think most of us in society have gotten out of the way of walking places.

When DS was young I took him to a Mothers& Toddlers group at the church at the end of our road, it is 0.6 miles from our house ( I know because recently ran half marathons so measure distances everywhere)

I walked and when DS was young he was in the buggy, and towards the end of our time there on a scooter.

A lot of the Mums used to comment on it as in "Aren't you good walking" but to me it seemed utterly bizarre that I would take the car out and go to the hassle of trying to find a space when I could walk somewhere in less time.

Modern life is very skewed. People seem to think that exercise is something you do in a darkened gym on machines, rather than being easily slotted into daily life.

Having said that though I still drive DS to school. It's 3 miles away not on a direct bus route and I need to get to work. About half the time I will cycle to work once I have dropped him off so hopefully that gives me some brownie points.

it was chock full of cars outside DD1s school this morning, the catchment this year was 0.38miles, it's not been much more than that for years.
most working parents here would walk to the tube for work - it's the SAH ones who drive.
I don't get it at all.

Alot of the mums dropping off precious at the local private schools, appear to work in a gym.

The other day one monster-truck driver parked in front of me and the kids on the pavement so I rapped on the tinted glass window (had to stand on tiptoe) and gestured to her to move because we couldn't get past.

I rapped a few times and she refused to acknowledge me, then suddenly zoomed off. I hope she was fucking late for the gym

How do they stay so fat when they work out in the gym all day?

no that would be a monster truck-driver

In the area that i live in the local HA started knocking down houses, so there was a dramatic fall in the population.

The L.A decided to close three primary schools and build one large one, instead, with a view to a Surestart or similar attached, if they had to much space in the school.

The HA and private builders have now and are rebuilding three + bedroom houses, so there aren't enough school places to go around (or doctors/dentists). The bus service is terrible and unreliable, so parents don't have the choice to walk to the schools or use public transport.

I don't want a car but i will have to get one as it will be cheaper than the taxis that i have to pay for when the buses don't turn up or are full, over winter. Town and transport planning needs addressing in most areas.

Also i walked myself to school at an age that the NSPCC are now telling parents is neglectful. It has nothing to do with modern day life, 'what we did in our day', times have changed.

I'm not sure why people are talking about those who are living a distance away or those who have to go onto work. I thought we'd already accepted they need to drive?

We are talking about people who drive an easily walkable distance .

So what? It's their business what they do. Beak out.

The point is, how can you assume why someone drives? You just don't know by looking at the cars tut tutting at all the fat, gym bunnies who have nothing else to do then sit in their car.

It isn't just their business when they are driving too fast, parking badly and causing problems and danger for those children who walk to school.
So I'll keep my beak in, fanks.

Belgo, when you live in a small community and know people personally then you know .

But you don't know why they drive and it's not illegal to do so. Poor driving needs to be addressed by the law and parking by the council.