Should schools be telling parents to walk kids to school?

[bellamountain]

This isn't an argument for the environment or to keep kids fit but to stop the roads around schools becoming so dangerously congested and for parents who do need to drive their kids, to be able to do so and not have to battle for parking. I take the kids to school and then have to shoot off to work, any one doing the same and the car is essential. However, the majority of the mums at my school do not work, they could easily walk their kids the relatively short distance but choose not too. They all have huge cars and all aim to get as close to the school as possible, it makes crossing the road dangerous, even with a one way system in place enforced by the school. Parents also sitting in their cars with the engines idling with the heater or air con. I'll be the first to admit that I love my car and I couldn't live without it, but when I'm not at work I walk to school and back. It's far less stressful yet the same parents clog the roads every day. I swear it's a pissing contest sometimes to flaunt who has the nicest car and this is a state school!

I agree with you, but I also think you’re a hypocrite.
I’m a hypocrite too. We mainly walk but sometimes take the car when, with a little more time and planning, I don’t strictly have to.
what really pisses me off is the parents parking dangerously, on corners, double yellows, zig zags. I don’t do that.

If you sometimes walk on non office days what is preventing you on other days. Instead of being so negative become proactive. If timing is an issue ask about extending before school care so that allows you to return home and drive to work on time for example.

It is and environmental concern though. Reducing congestion improves air quality and traffic safety. The exercise can help with weight and fitness concerns. It is likely your dc are exposed to higher concentrations of pollution inside your car than while walking.

Haven’t read the full thread. However, I’m amazed how in these threads everyone seems to know the ‘majority of the mums don’t work’ how do you know?!

Ha. I mean, yes but your reasons are ridiculous.

This is an age old problem. The unbelievably inconsiderate and dangerous parking of some parents used to give me the rage when mine was at primary.
Sorted now though, our council block vehicle access to roads around schools here now at peak times. So all the lazy asses have to park a few streets away.

The primary school my daughter went to had the use of a massive car park behind the school fields - we could get a pass for our car and park for free half an hour morning and evening drop off. They also had an additional access gate at the rear of the field - which meant walking families from that side of town was quicker and safer as you didn’t have to walk along a busy main road.
It was really useful as a working parent to know I could have somewhere to park & was safe. The gates opened at 8:30 and closed at 9, opened again at 3 closed at 3:30.

Except the school then due to safety concerns locked both the back gates and no longer used them - car park is now no longer really used (the locked gate means a much longer walk)

We did offer a rota for parents to stand at the gates in the morning which was dismissed so we all squeezed through two gates and a busy road.

I do completely understand the safely aspects of access to the school but just seems a shame to get rid of something that had been used for years :(

Lots of problems with this..

A highly onerous administrative task to burden local authorities and schools with, not to mention costly.

Who makes the criteria? I bet they'll differ from area to area. Who will manage the appeals process?

Things change. Kids are at school for 13 years. You'd be forever eligible then non-eligible then eligible again.

You can't permit the public highway, even for short periods. Local residents would go bananas plus the problem would just be pushed further out.

Who's going to police this? School budgets don't stretch to employing a traffic warden.

It was ever thus, in every school in the country I think.

Parking becomes an issue, school sends a letter about considerate parking.
Neighbouring houses complain, school sends a letter about considerate parking.
Parking on both sides of the road, road blocked, school sends etc etc.

A walking bus is a good idea if it’s feasible
A no park zone round the school, so parents have to park further away. Might annoy different neighbours, but fewer cars in the space just by school.
Even if you’re a parent dropping off on your way to work, it should be possible to do the above, if you allow time.
No one should be parking with their engine running for half an hour. Those parents can obviously either take the car home and walk, or park further away and walk.

I have never been to a school that had resolved the issue and I’ve been to loads of schools as an advisory teacher.

Just moves the problem really.

Reminds me of a Jewish friend telling me about everyone going to synagogue. Obviously you're not supposed to drive on the Sabbath and everyone was keen to be seen to be observing this. So they would all park a few streets away from synagogue and walk the last bit, all waving to each other as they got out of their cars 😄

Back in the early 90s, my school actually did this. Sent a letter home essentially saying ‘please walk if possible’. Even back then, it was largely ignored - wouldn’t stand a chance in today’s world unfortunately unless legally enforced (eg. School Street restriction).

God I wish our council would do that. There are car parks parents can use for free not that far away, but noooo, got to get those front wheels practically touching the school building.

I full-on yelled at a driver a while ago for trying to quickly nip into a parking space, by reversing through a line of crossing children and a crossing guard. Thankfully he heard me and stopped in time, and he did look really shocked so I think he just hadn’t seen them, but FFS if you’re trying to park outside a school and you can’t even see a row of kids and adult in head-to-toe dayglo orange with a huge sign saying STOP…

You can’t really be saying this if you wouldn’t be prepared to do that same, surely.
“everyone else should walk to school so that I can find a parking spot more easily” just doesn’t work, I’m afraid. No matter what your perception of their lifestyle and how much free time you imagine they might have.

When i worked i still walked the kids to school then walked home and picked up my car and drove to work so why don't you do this OP
You really don't know everyones elses situation
Whist i agree more should walk when possible and personally i found it easier / quicker than navigating a parking space , strapping kids in car

My DC primary school allows kids to walk to or from school without an adult from year 5. So probably age 10 and above.

Our (relatively small) town has several secondary schools. We are lucky that we have 3 within a mile (so walkable for DC) but because of where they are, some areas of the town are 2+ miles from the nearest school, and routes would include roads without pavements, or street lights.

Op you are aware that many now wfh , so they may go straight home but have to log in at work by a certain tIme
When mine were at school only about 5 mums would of known if I worked or not the others would of had no idea as I didn't about many
You can't know all the situations

My DC primary school allows kids to walk to or from school without an adult from year 5. So probably age 10 and above.

Our (relatively small) town has several secondary schools. We are lucky that we have 3 within a mile (so walkable for DC) but because of where they are, some areas of the town are 2+ miles from the nearest school, and routes would include roads without pavements, or street lights.

@CrispSandwichesRule thats what i wondered , I would have no idea what most of them did , other than a few of dc friends mum and most would not know what I did or didn't do either

My tiny village school has 25 children per year group. and we shockingly speak to each other and socialise with our children…

Our school is absolute bonkers for parking, always the same 2 Range Rovers, a Volvo and a BMW just literally abandoned each morning so nobody else can enter or exit the drop off area. There is plenty of parking, a few minutes walk if your children are too young to be dropped off at the drop off point, but these entitled twats just don’t give a shit.

It’s not like they are running late and are doing it as a last minute dash kind of thing, as they are getting there early enough to block half the other parents from using the drop off, oh and of course they don’t reappear until 10 minutes after the bell with zero shame or apologies.

It’s kicked off a few times, many parents have complained to the SLT but there is nothing you can do. If you politely point out they have made you late to work again they get really aggressive, hence the few kick offs!!!

I hated driving to school. I carefully planned a move into catchment for reception year and we toddled the few hundred yards to school and back happily for a couple of years. Then we had to leave our rental, and temporarily rent in the next village, so had to drive the two miles in. We also lived opposite a school and had the horrible congestion (including people parking across my driveway most days) at both ends. It was a big factor in moving to where we now live, which is still a couple of miles from school but has a council bus, as there is no local school. It wasn’t the only factor, but it was big one.

It’s a bit off to assume that the other cars don’t have good reasons to be there. You could walk, but it’s more convenient not to. The same will be true for them. Work is not the only valid reason for being busy.

The school should encourage it, but also start a few initiatives, carpools, group walks in the morning etc.

You can't judge others for driving when you're sat there in your car. The majority of mums don't work? How the hell do you know what goes on in their lives?! You sound very hypocritical.

The only thing that you can be annoyed about is parents parking illegally or driving dangerously around school, just to drop their kids off closer. That pisses me off.

You don't know people are only driving 5 minutes up the road. You don't know where they're going next. You don't know if they have health issues that mean they can't walk far or carry bags.
Just assume everyone else needs their car as much as you need your's.

This is exactly what I was thinking about yourself when I read the op. Walk home to get the car after school run. It's not hard. At a minimum park up a 5 min walk from the school and you'll be fine

As you DRIVE to school, you could WALK the same route, or put your wellies on, every day it's messy, not just days you occasionally walk.

YOU are a parent driving to school unnecessarily.

Our local primary went from 2 form entry to 3, eight years ago, so there were 30 more kids every year for 7 years til it filled up the yeargroups. Going from over 400 to over 600 kids at the school.

Maybe 300 are local. Most of the new students come from the newbuild edge of town estates, by car. School drop times and pickups are tortuous... even for me walking to work. Everybody says something needs to be done, but there are no solutions that help everybody.