Calling All Cars!

[LadyDeliah]

I think what much of this is because people don't like their negative but comfortable habits challenged, so they grasp onto whatever they can to prevent themselves having to look at their behaviour and it's impact on others.

It's clear that currently switching from car to other healthier / less socially destructive transport modes would inconvenience many people quite seriously, but if there is no change in people's attitude to car ownership and use, there will be a pretty crappy future facing all our kids, SEN or not, especially in our cities.

[the-e-dealer]

!!!! Sorry

Willard Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> FFS don't start LadyDeliah off again...

[JohnL]

how about a school bus or minibus.

maybe yellow.

In my time SEN had their own bus and classes - which wasn't a good idea looking back.

[bluecanary]

Not ignoring. Busy.

There are many forms of disability, not all of them physical, not all of them visible. An SEN can be a disability in as much as it can be a barrier to access something such as education, social events and interacting with the community.

To answer your question, a child with say a learning disability which is classed as having special education needs, may be capable of walking but may refuse to do so. They may choose to walk on tiptoes and/or backwards. Maybe the child has no fear or understanding of danger and could run into the road at anytime, despite having their hand held.

There are many reasons why a child who has SEN may need to be driven to school besides the reasons of distance, going on to work etc that any parent may face. Could be that after struggling to get the child to co-operate with getting ready for school, eat breakfast or even leave the house the parent/carer is to exhausted to try and face the ordeal of walking.

[DaveR]

"There are many reasons why a child who has SEN may need to be driven to school besides the reasons of distance, going on to work etc that any parent may face."

That may be true, but it is still no answer, unless you think, for example, that these account for all/the majority of kids currently being driven to local schools. As has been said, at the point of entry it's likely that all kids will live < 5-600 metres from the school. Some will genuinely need to be driven, for various reasons. The majority won't, and I think it's a fair perception that many of those who currently are don't need to be - it's certainly my impression from dropping my own kids off. In those circumstances it's difficult to argue seriously against LadyD's basic point i.e. for some parents driving their kids to school is just putting their own, selfish interests above the wider interests of their community (and perhaps the interests of their own kids).

[bluecanary]

LadyDeliah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> So because their SEN, they can't walk?

I was answering Lady D's question. Nothing more.

[UncleBen]

Agree with LadyD - there is no need to drive sen kids. Lazy lazy and poor parenting driving when not needed plus breaking traffic laws.

[LadyDeliah]

Thanks for answering my question bluecanary.

I agree that disabled kids might need to be driven to school, although my friend pushed her severely autistic / blind daughter to school in an oversize buggy, but what you said here:

To answer your question, a child with say a learning disability which is classed as having special education needs, may be capable of walking but may refuse to do so. They may choose to walk on tiptoes and/or backwards. Maybe the child has no fear or understanding of danger and could run into the road at anytime, despite having their hand held.

There are many reasons why a child who has SEN may need to be driven to school besides the reasons of distance, going on to work etc that any parent may face. Could be that after struggling to get the child to co-operate with getting ready for school, eat breakfast or even leave the house the parent/carer is to exhausted to try and face the ordeal of walking.

applies to loads of non-SEN kids, including two of mine who were hyperactive.

You just adapt the way you do things, including telling the teachers that you won't let them browbeat you into forcing your child to have a horrible morning by shouting at them & rushing them to be on time for the benefit of the school's OFTED statistics on timekeeping.

[Pickle]

Surely even if a child has SEN, that's no excise to park illegally, and get a parking fine?

SEN aside, I know a lot of people who choose to drive to school simply because they (not the kids) are too lazy to walk. We are at Goodrich, I know people who drive that live on Friern, and towards the shops on Forest Hill Rd - a 5/10 minute walk at most.

[bluecanary]

I have neither mentioned nor sanctioned parking illegally whether children have SEN or not.

[uncleglen]

(Kids with disabilities who can't walk to school can get transport from the council). My kids went to a primary school 15 minutes walk from home. My next door neighbour's kids went to the same school and unless I walked them (if they were ready) their mother used to drive them- and that was most days. And they were still late most days!!

Also at the school was a girl in a wheelchair and her mother used to drive her, park on the zig-zags to unload her and then drive to shopping where she parked in a disabled space since she had the parking badge!! Both were 'Dulwich Village mums'