in reply to grimly ... covered that already.... or are you saying its right to close schools for 3 days when it snowed for 1 morning? :wacko:

No, I'm agreeing with his comment about local schools. When I went to school, very few children had to travel ten miles to school. Most children - particularly primary school children - lived within walking distance of school. Now, thanks to the "choice" policy introduced by the Tories and enthusiastically endorsed by Labour, far more children travel long distances to school. An environmental disaster with all those extra car-miles and more schools closing when there's a bit of bad weather. That worked well didn't it?

No, I'm agreeing with his comment about local schools. When I went to school, very few children had to travel ten miles to school. Most children - particularly primary school children - lived within walking distance of school. Now, thanks to the "choice" policy introduced by the Tories and enthusiastically endorsed by Labour, far more children travel long distances to school. An environmental disaster with all those extra car-miles and more schools closing when there's a bit of bad weather. That worked well didn't it?

 

indeed.... but im not so sure about primary school kids travelling far, the schools i work in cater for local kids, the vast majority DO live in walking distance and i know some people on my road still car their brats to school... the engine doesnt even warm up! its a 5 minute walk... im under the impression that schools still do have catchment areas, they only take kids from outside those areas IF theres room... local get priority.

indeed.... but im not so sure about primary school kids travelling far, the schools i work in cater for local kids, the vast majority DO live in walking distance and i know some people on my road still car their brats to school... the engine doesnt even warm up! its a 5 minute walk... im under the impression that schools still do have catchment areas, they only take kids from outside those areas IF theres room... local get priority.

 

Not sure how true that is... A friend of mine teaches in a school in Camden. About half her kids are from areas that are miles away, some from Hackney, some from Tower Hamlets, some from Wood Green.... Just TRY walking from any of these areas to where her school is.... :rolleyes:

 

This is the whole problem with the whole "parental choice" and "League tables" bullsh!t - roads getting congested because of the bloody "school run" and public tranport overflowing with kids.. A US "School Bus" style system would be a good idea, but no one's actually laying down the plans to do this....

 

Not sure how true that is... A friend of mine teaches in a school in Camden. About half her kids are from areas that are miles away, some from Hackney, some from Tower Hamlets, some from Wood Green.... Just TRY walking from any of these areas to where her school is.... :rolleyes:

 

This is the whole problem with the whole "parental choice" and "League tables" bullsh!t - roads getting congested because of the bloody "school run" and public tranport overflowing with kids.. A US "School Bus" style system would be a good idea, but no one's actually laying down the plans to do this....

 

well im certain its factual here in derby, i work in 4 schools and most if not all of the kids are local... theres been big arguments in our local rag cos 'outsiders' have wanted to go to 'better' schools but they only could after the local kids within a catchment area had 'got in'. in fact werent we arguing not so long ago about councils spying , following home kids to see if they were living in the catchment area? im sure we did lock horns on that. if there was choice then that wouldnt have happened.

well im certain its factual here in derby, i work in 4 schools and most if not all of the kids are local... theres been big arguments in our local rag cos 'outsiders' have wanted to go to 'better' schools but they only could after the local kids within a catchment area had 'got in'. in fact werent we arguing not so long ago about councils spying , following home kids to see if they were living in the catchment area? im sure we did lock horns on that. if there was choice then that wouldnt have happened.

 

Well, I still dont believe in councils spying on kids and their parents, it's very, very iffy... I mean, sorry, but a couple of blokes in a car following a child around.... Er, dodgy; if I was a parent and saw that sort of thing, I'd be going after these b/astards with a baseball bat thinking they were paedos after my kids.... :rolleyes:

 

And if my friend knows where her kids live as a teacher, then I'm pretty damn sure the school admin does as well.... :lol:

 

If these sorts of things are really going on, well, it's only really because of the policy of publishing these "league tables" innit...? I mean, obviously when you start quantifying things like this and putting statistics on it, people are gonna believe it and believe the impression that one school is better than another, and the supposed "bad" schools will just get worse, so it's all a self-fulfilling prophecy, even the schools in the middle which are perfectly adequate will suffer as well...

 

Nope, sorry, but it's time to stop this rubbish once and for all....

....... anyway we were talking about health and safety! :lol:

 

i became 6 years old in the winter of '63, there was a coal fire which went out overnight, no central heating, no boilers, no double glazing, no fitted carpets, no duvets, and with no fire... no hot water! there was ice in our sink, milk froze in the bottles yet it was still delivered on time! we lived in our coats in school to keep warm and yes we went.

 

by comparison our world today is very very soft. not that id advocate returning to conditions like that! but we just 'got on with it'...

i became 6 years old in the winter of '63, there was a coal fire which went out overnight, no central heating, no boilers, no double glazing, no fitted carpets, no duvets, and with no fire... no hot water! there was ice in our sink, milk froze in the bottles yet it was still delivered on time! we lived in our coats in school to keep warm and yes we went.

 

by comparison our world today is very very soft. not that id advocate returning to conditions like that! but we just 'got on with it'...

 

God, you sound like that Monty Python sketch... You know the one... :rolleyes:

 

Every generation says that about the ones that follow.. I bet your Grandparents said the same thing to you "baby boomer" lot..... :P :lol:

 

Yes, it probably IS a bit ridiculous, but I still feel the reasons for it are to do with kids generally speaking having to travel greater distances to school now, the ethos of "going to your local school regardless" has changed, there's no denying it... And yes, it probably IS a problem that parents are ferrying their kids around for ridiculously short distances rather than making the little buggers walk, but again, this is due to "paedogeddon" innit....? The impression given that peados lurk round every corner.... Or, indeed what happened to poor wee tykes like Damilola Taylor.... :( More and more young victims of knife crime; it's clearly a concern for parents (although the Press does tend to sensationalise it, like knife crime is some kind of new phenomenon :rolleyes: ), and certainly a more pressing concern I would argue than the "paedogeddon" arguement....

God, you sound like that Monty Python sketch... You know the one... :rolleyes:

 

Every generation says that about the ones that follow.. I bet your Grandparents said the same thing to you "baby boomer" lot..... :P :lol:

 

Yes, it probably IS a bit ridiculous, but I still feel the reasons for it are to do with kids generally speaking having to travel greater distances to school now, the ethos of "going to your local school regardless" has changed, there's no denying it... And yes, it probably IS a problem that parents are ferrying their kids around for ridiculously short distances rather than making the little buggers walk, but again, this is due to "paedogeddon" innit....? The impression given that peados lurk round every corner.... Or, indeed what happened to poor wee tykes like Damilola Taylor.... :( More and more young victims of knife crime; it's clearly a concern for parents (although the Press does tend to sensationalise it, like knife crime is some kind of new phenomenon :rolleyes: ), and certainly a more pressing concern I would argue than the "paedogeddon" arguement....

So the parents can walk to school with their children.

So the parents can walk to school with their children.

 

:lol: :lol:

 

You assume that some parents aren't a bunch of lazy buggers mate.... ;) I know I'd certainly walk my kids to school (of course assuming I'd even be able to get them educated locally....) but that's mainly because I dont have a car, cars kind of make people a bit lazy, know what I mean...? Granted, the ease of Public Transport in London also does this to an extent, but still.....

 

Yeah, a great point in principle, but whether it would actually occur in reality or not these days, debateable....

 

God, you sound like that Monty Python sketch... You know the one... :rolleyes:

:lol:

 

Where i live we get a free bus pass if you live over 3 miles from the school for kids 11 years and over :o . Otherwise you have to walk :o . It takes me 1 1/2 hours to walk 4 miles and i'm a lanky bast*rd :P . It'd probably take 1 1/2 hours for a normal sized 11 year old to walk 3 miles, which is an extra 3 miles a day. I know this is away from the original topic but it isn't really fair. As for paedophiles; i don't think they're a problem where i live. Aside from that i think transport to schools actually IN my town its pretty good since most walk, a few are lazy and get driven, but at that time of day its just as fast to walk, so their loss :P

 

In very good schools such as Ecclesbourne School (Rob will probably know) the catchment area definately applies, for average or worse schools it doesn't really matter as they are normally used as a "compromise".

I've not read all of this thread but have read most responses and haven't seen anything to do with the 'sue' culture we have today. I can easile imagine one child falling over whilst running through a playground, breaking their leg because it's snowy and icy and their parents suing the school. School's will be almost freightened to open, they don't want the bad publicity and most schools seem to be low on finances anyway...

:lol: :lol:

 

You assume that some parents aren't a bunch of lazy buggers mate.... ;) I know I'd certainly walk my kids to school (of course assuming I'd even be able to get them educated locally....) but that's mainly because I dont have a car, cars kind of make people a bit lazy, know what I mean...? Granted, the ease of Public Transport in London also does this to an extent, but still.....

 

Yeah, a great point in principle, but whether it would actually occur in reality or not these days, debateable....

If I'd said the words rather than posting them you'd have realised what I meant. I totally agree with you about parents being too lazy to walk a few hundred yards to the school and then back again.

:In very good schools such as Ecclesbourne School (Rob will probably know) the catchment area definately applies, for average or worse schools it doesn't really matter as they are normally used as a "compromise".

 

indeed.. that school highlights my point... although everybody wants to go there, they cant as priority is given to 'locals'. its also the same with my local comp in chellaston. the other schools in the area, sinfin, noel baker, merril, are well down the 'league tables' having much poorer exam results, chellaston is oversubscribed but dispite this priority is given to local kids.

It's not a new thing: in the mid-90s, there were several times when we still had to go into school, despite there being at least 2in of snow on the ground (which, growing up in Scotland, would be a regular occurance). However, in 2003, hundreds of schools closed because of 1in of snow. :blink: