Extraordinary school rule
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2012 11:39 am
- Location: Kensington, Melbourne, VIC
- Contact:
Extraordinary school rule
Postby wizdofaus » Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:48 am
I tried to be polite giving my reaction to that, but it was a challenge.
Part of me thinks 'if I known that before I would never have enrolled him'. The other thinks 'it's a rule that so obviously needs replacing with instead an explicit policy of getting as many kids to ride to school as possible that I'm glad I've found out about it and might be in some sort of position to change it'.
Needless to say I'm going to ignore it for the time being.
- g-boaf
- Posts: 21488
- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:11 pm
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby g-boaf » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:05 am
When I was going to school, I don't think it was allowed to ride to school at all. Walk, catch a bus or be driven as far as I can remember. This was back in the 80s or 90s and I do not ever remember anybody riding a bicycle to school at all.
Funny thing is that in 2006 when I worked in Hurstville, I use to see a school kid, maybe around year 10 age on a pretty fast looking road-bike confidently mixing it up in the traffic on Forest Road most afternoons, evidently on his commute home from school. The school kid rode that bike in the traffic like a long time veteran commuter. How things change.
In my area, I don't think riding to school would ever happen - everyone drives their children to school. Especially around the local private school in the morning, it's a sea of enormous SUVs bumper to bumper and even double-parked, nothing moves anywhere - traffic is completely destroyed.
All you can do is register your absolute objection to the rule and be quite vocal about it. I think you can probably overrule them.
- il padrone
- Posts: 22931
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:57 pm
- Location: Heading for home.
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby il padrone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:09 am
How you transport your son to school is your business. Public roads are not the domain of school control. They may choose to exclude him from use of bike racks, or even prohibit his bike from the premises. However he is free to ride his bike to school and chain it to a pole outside the school, or leave it with someone who lives next to the school. Or maybe get yourself a trailgator and ride alongside him to school, then tow the bike home on the trailgator .
You do have options.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
-
- Posts: 5131
- Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:41 pm
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby rkelsen » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:25 am
It's upsetting, but I think their reasoning is sound. There are so many harried mums driving tractors around the front of the school, that I wouldn't feel comfortable letting my daughter ride in anyway. Of course, it'd be a different story if every other kid rode or took the walking school bus.
Upsetting or not, facts are facts.
Anyhow, after experiencing the frustration of trying to navigate the sea of barges on the first day, my wife has decided to walk my daughter to school as often as possible.
- sogood
- Posts: 17168
- Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:31 am
- Location: Sydney AU
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby sogood » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:33 am
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/police-threat ... 1rezj.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
- il padrone
- Posts: 22931
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:57 pm
- Location: Heading for home.
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby il padrone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:50 am
Omigawd!!! Nanny-state par excellencesogood wrote:And what's the age limit that kids should be accompanied to school by an adult? Year 5 I recall from my son's old school?
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/police-threat ... 1rezj.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
-
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 9:47 am
- Location: Ballajura, Western Australia
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby R12RT » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:52 am
My wife and I decided that our son wasn't old enough to fide to school on his own into Year 5. Before that I would ride with to school and ride to school in the afternoon to accompany him home.
2010 Malvern Star Oppy C6
2014 Giant Propel Advanced 1
- sogood
- Posts: 17168
- Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:31 am
- Location: Sydney AU
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby sogood » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:58 am
It's never a one way street. Brain impaired or psycho infused society invariably leads to nanny figures. No responsibility taken and money hungry litigants don't help.il padrone wrote:Omigawd!!! Nanny-state par excellence
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
- queequeg
- Posts: 6484
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby queequeg » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:58 am
That is the irony. Imagine the uproar if the school banned students from being driven to school.rkelsen wrote:Same here, except it's Grade 4.
It's upsetting, but I think their reasoning is sound. There are so many harried mums driving tractors around the front of the school, that I wouldn't feel comfortable letting my daughter ride in anyway. Of course, it'd be a different story if every other kid rode or took the walking school bus.
Upsetting or not, facts are facts.
Anyhow, after experiencing the frustration of trying to navigate the sea of barges on the first day, my wife has decided to walk my daughter to school as often as possible.
Ny office is next door to a large north shore private school, and the number of expensive SUVs dropping off kids is crazy, despite the school being also next door to a major public transport hub with buses and trains!
- sogood
- Posts: 17168
- Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:31 am
- Location: Sydney AU
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby sogood » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:01 am
Now, you just need to convince the courts and your fellow parents to take the same view. At the end of the day, schools/teachers have to protect themselves from those whinging and litigious parents.R12RT wrote:It should be up to the parents to determine what is safe for their own children.
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
- sogood
- Posts: 17168
- Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:31 am
- Location: Sydney AU
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby sogood » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:05 am
Think, what excuses would a spouse have in justifying that spanking new SUV if it weren't for their daily children transport duties? Children and spouse gets to ride in comfort and style, car makers make a market, government receives luxury car duty, economy becomes buoyant... Who's to come to stop this?queequeg wrote:Ny office is next door to a large north shore private school, and the number of expensive SUVs dropping off kids is crazy, despite the school being also next door to a major public transport hub with buses and trains!
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2012 11:39 am
- Location: Kensington, Melbourne, VIC
- Contact:
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby wizdofaus » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:08 am
I just bought one in fact (as you may know from other threads). Tried to use this morning but it wasn't fastened properly, and didn't have time to fix - or so I thought. If I'd spent another 15 minutes getting it right I would have almost certainly got him to school much sooner (and without breaking his bike, when it fell over on the bus...long story).il padrone wrote:Unenforceable.
How you transport your son to school is your business. Public roads are not the domain of school control. They may choose to exclude him from use of bike racks, or even prohibit his bike from the premises. However he is free to ride his bike to school and chain it to a pole outside the school, or leave it with someone who lives next to the school. Or maybe get yourself a trailgator and ride alongside him to school, then tow the bike home on the trailgator .
You do have options.
It's not about my own personal options, it's the fact that we seriously still even think such sort of rule makes any of sense that dumbfounds me.
- im_no_pro
- Super Mod
- Posts: 6029
- Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:29 pm
- Location: Geelong
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby im_no_pro » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:13 am
master6 wrote: Moderators are like Club Handicappers; I often think they are wrong, but I dont want the job.
-
- Posts: 5131
- Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:41 pm
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby rkelsen » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:14 am
Does that make me a communist? Dear God, I'm having a crisis...sogood wrote:Think, what excuses would a spouse have in justifying that spanking new SUV if it weren't for their daily children transport duties? Children and spouse gets to ride in comfort and style, car makers make a market, government receives luxury car duty, economy becomes buoyant... Who's to come to stop this?queequeg wrote:Ny office is next door to a large north shore private school, and the number of expensive SUVs dropping off kids is crazy, despite the school being also next door to a major public transport hub with buses and trains!
- Mrfenejeans
- Posts: 417
- Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:01 pm
- Location: Kingsley
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby Mrfenejeans » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:20 am
Parents/schools want to stop children riding to school because it's the parents of other children at the school who might endanger their lives???
- il padrone
- Posts: 22931
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:57 pm
- Location: Heading for home.
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby il padrone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:23 am
What happens on the road to and from school has nothing to do with the school and/or teachers.sogood wrote:At the end of the day, schools/teachers have to protect themselves from those whinging and litigious parents.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2012 11:39 am
- Location: Kensington, Melbourne, VIC
- Contact:
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby wizdofaus » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:24 am
The key word there is *unaccompanied*. I wouldn't have a problem with it in that case. But I was told they weren't allowed to ride at all.im_no_pro wrote:Was the same for me in late 80's early 90's, you werent allowed to ride to school unaccompanied until you had done bike-ed (which was grade 4 from memory). Normally im one for allowing people to make their own decisions in these types of situations but I actually agree with this one (and sogood).
- hannos
- Posts: 4109
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:18 am
- Location: Sydney
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby hannos » Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:01 pm
This was back in about 1980.
-
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:37 pm
- Location: Townsville, QLD
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby BrisVegas » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:06 pm
I walk my kids to school, we're only 1.2 km away, on my way to work. I was riding with my older one last year when she was in grade 2, but my younger preppie this year is not confident enough to ride yet. I often wonder how I got away with the freedom I had when I was a kid. I rode to school solo from grade 1 in a country town, then we moved to Brisbane and I walked in grade 3. I'm sure there are probably laws around that say children should never be unsupervised until over 12 y.o.
I think for primary school kids, going to the local school, it's part of growing up being allowed to walk/ride to school on their own.
- im_no_pro
- Super Mod
- Posts: 6029
- Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:29 pm
- Location: Geelong
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby im_no_pro » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:20 pm
I'd be asking for clarification, possibly just a poorly communicated message.wizdofaus wrote:The key word there is *unaccompanied*. I wouldn't have a problem with it in that case. But I was told they weren't allowed to ride at all.im_no_pro wrote:Was the same for me in late 80's early 90's, you werent allowed to ride to school unaccompanied until you had done bike-ed (which was grade 4 from memory). Normally im one for allowing people to make their own decisions in these types of situations but I actually agree with this one (and sogood).
master6 wrote: Moderators are like Club Handicappers; I often think they are wrong, but I dont want the job.
- Howzat
- Posts: 850
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 7:08 pm
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby Howzat » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:42 pm
Sad to say, quite a lot of kids have parents that can't be trusted on that score. Here in reality, not all kids get the parenting they should.R12RT wrote:It should be up to the parents to determine what is safe for their own children.
But schools have rules, and it's entirely appropriate for the school, if they think there are elevated risks to kids from bike riding, to set a rule about it.
It's for the parents to take the rule into account, and ignore it as wizdofaus will, or challenge it if it's baseless.
But whining about the "nanny-statism" of primary schools... jeepers .
-
- Posts: 231
- Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2012 11:39 am
- Location: Kensington, Melbourne, VIC
- Contact:
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby wizdofaus » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:50 pm
On what basis is it appropriate for the school to determine how I get him from my house to the school grounds? By all means they can forbid me from leaving the bike locked up in school grounds, but the ban is quite clear - children are not to use bikes to get to school until grade 5, accompanied or not. 'Baseless' doesn't even cover it...Howzat wrote: But schools have rules, and it's entirely appropriate for the school...
- simonn
- Posts: 3763
- Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:46 am
- Location: Sydney
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby simonn » Wed Feb 06, 2013 4:03 pm
Under pain of death? If you did transport them to school by bicycle what would happen? Private school?wizdofaus wrote:On what basis is it appropriate for the school to determine how I get him from my house to the school grounds? By all means they can forbid me from leaving the bike locked up in school grounds, but the ban is quite clear - children are not to use bikes to get to school until grade 5, accompanied or not. 'Baseless' doesn't even cover it...Howzat wrote: But schools have rules, and it's entirely appropriate for the school...
- Howzat
- Posts: 850
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 7:08 pm
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby Howzat » Wed Feb 06, 2013 4:05 pm
- sogood
- Posts: 17168
- Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:31 am
- Location: Sydney AU
Re: Extraordinary school rule
Postby sogood » Wed Feb 06, 2013 4:10 pm
In an ideal world yes, but those pesky parents and sensationalistic media will find a way to nail the department, school and teachers. Sad isn't it?il padrone wrote:What happens on the road to and from school has nothing to do with the school and/or teachers.
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
Return to “Cycling Safety and Advocacy”
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+10:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.