Walking to School

Off today with the children to walk to school. It is their golden boot day when all children are invited to walk to school. Lovely day for it.

I am fortunate I suppose, I have a shorter walk to work than my children have to school. It takes me two minutes and they take ten. Well they do have shorter legs and there are so many things to look at when you are walking.

It does surprise me that so many people take their children to school by car. True some people do live three miles away but they are very few. Others have to be off somewhere after dropping off their children. Perversely, there are some people who we walk past as they are getting into their car. Okay so they pass us on the way to school but we overtake them near the school because they have to park. Then the mothers drive back home – I see them as I walk past. Disturbingly, the reason given why they took the car was they were frightened of being attacked. This is in one of the safest towns in the safest county, in one of the safest countries on earth. They are in more danger making a cup of coffee.

Beyond our own experience research has shown that children who walk to school enjoy school more and are healthier. This is why Green Transport Week is so important – our job is not done until people realise that, everything else being equal, driving their children to school is not in their child’s interest let alone the environment.