Fewer than half of children read for leisure or walk to school

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... chool.html

Boohoo.

I blame the parents. Too scared to let them walk to school so clog up the roads in their 4x4.

How many of these children are actually within walking range of their school anyway? We still have a Community Primary school in our village, but many villages now don't. Should these children walk several miles to the neighbouring CP?

Yes they should walk. Its good for them and the environment.

in the words of those pesky Meerkats... simples

There's a shock

Regarding walking to school, it's completely the parents' decision, so...

I am an adult and even I wouldn't walk on some of the roads between villages (on account of being too dangerous), and you expect children to do it?

Prior to my kids finishing school it was 16 miles to school - of course they are going to walk that.

Pavements what are they ?

Street lighting don't make me laugh ............

Unless its proved to be dangerous, why shouldnt children of a suitable age be expected to walk to school . If the roads around and to these schools are too dangerous for pedestrians to walk by then that should be looked at.

They have no pavements, they have no street lighting, they're full of blind bends and the national speed limit applies (i.e. 60mph), how is that anything but dangerous?

Also in the case of my village it would only be a 3 mile walk to the next nearest school, in other places you're easily looking at 10+ miles.

Since I dont know the geography of your local area and other areas, thats why I put those caveats in. Too many children nowdays are completley molly coddled by there parents. The freedoms I had when I was a child would probably nowdays have put my mother in prison.
Where practical and safe to do so (and not by some totally risk adverse public jobsworth) children should be encouraged to walk to school.

There are always bicycles, or buses, but I think that councils should keep small village schools open as much as possible. Though 16 miles is too far to walk.

Given how dangerous the roads are cycling is also out. School bus was used.

+1 On the walking to school thing. I know some secondary schools can be a long way away, but there's no excuse for most primary schools.

Since when is this news?? Kids haven't walked anywhere except to the off-licence for years and reading went out of fashion bloody ages ago.

I'm saying it's right, but really, if people cared they'd do something about it.