The school run is the modern practice of parents taking their children to school by car. Many parents park their cars in school car parks and driveways to drop off and pick up their children at the appropriate times.
Background
In the past it was normal for children to walk to school, either on their own, with friends, or accompanied by an adult. Walking to school by primary school pupils fell from 61% in 1992/4 to 50% in 2004.
In recent years walking to school has become less common as more and more students are dropped off at school by parents using cars, sometimes in a
rota with other parents.
Reasons for this trend include:
*In many cases both parents work and do not have time to walk their children to school, and do not know any other parents who have the time either.
*Even if the children are old enough to walk on their own (or cycle), most parents are worried that something may happen to them, such as
kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
or a car accident, partly due to media coverage of isolated cases.
*Often there is no convenient bus service, and the distance is too far for walking
The risk of children being run over near their schools is much higher than in the past due to parents driving their own children to school and parking in unsafe places near the school gates. It is not unusual to see drivers parking their cars in bus stops, on pedestrian crossings or facing the wrong way, with children getting in or out of the car.
Problems arising from 'the school run'
Some streets near schools now have a 20 mph speed limit operating when the children are about, though traffic congestion often necessitates a lower speed.
With the increase in a choice of schools, children may have to travel further and are more likely to require a bus or car ride.
It is claimed that the school run is responsible for a large amount of the traffic problems in the morning
rush hour
A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice every weekday: on ...
.
The decreasing amount of
exercise
Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...
and associated increase in
obesity
Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...
are also partly blamed on the school run. To combat this, many schools have started arrangements to encourage children to walk to school, whilst mitigating the possible dangers. An example is the "walking school bus", an organised group of children and volunteer parents walking to school.
The school run has become a popular target for some politicians and campaigners against the use of cars for journeys which could be better walked or cycled. One of the campaigns promoting this alternative is the
walk to school campaign
The Walk to School Campaign is a British campaign promoting the benefits of walking to school as student transport. It is a founder member of the IWALK (International Walk to School) organisation.
The campaign is run by the charity Living Stre ...
.
See also
*
Student transport
References
External links
BBCi News Article
{{DEFAULTSORT:School Run
Education in the United Kingdom
Transport in the United Kingdom
Student transport