We had our "introduction" night last night at my daughter's new school.
There are no busses servicing the school. Zero. Although the principal mentioned that some students regularly get picked up by taxi, which the school knows about and monitors closely.
One Dad inquired about kids walking home alone. Everybody was aghast at the idea. Admittedly, in context, we're talking about 5-year-olds in their first year at school, and the guy was more concerned that his child has an over-inflated sense of independence and navigation, and might be prone to making a run for home if not watched closely. But really, there's plenty of houses within a (quiet backstreets) block of the school - I was expecting at least some comment that "some parents start letting their kids walk home alone in year x, but that's up to you and your child and blah blah". Nope.
The principal was very welcoming to my wife's offer of starting a walking school bus - starting one, that is, because there is none yet. A WSB would suit us well... our plan is to walk (750m) to school with her every day, rain hail or shine (we're in Ballarat, so there's plenty of the first two
). We're close to the catchment boundary in our direction (we're about half way between two primary schools), so there's not much penalty in picking up a few more kids along the way... and it raises the option of having a roster of parents, so we doesn't have to do it every single day. We already have three starters; our next door neighbour's kid starts next year, as does another friend around the corner, so that's three less cars fighting for prime parking position.
Of course, once the kids know how to ride bikes and stuff, the walk to school will get a bit of mechanical assistance.
A bit surprised at how "helicopter"-ish the school culture is. I thought our area - one of the
nicer pockets of inner Ballarat - was reasonably progressive and more likely to have at least an undercurrent of free-range parenting. Oh well, I guess it will be up to me to subvert the dominant paradigm...
tim