http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "Couple threatened with social services - their children ride bikes to school" en Sun, 17 May 2026 21:50:18 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10098 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:32:48 +0000 chdot 10098@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Also</p> <p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10612765" rel="nofollow">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10612765</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10097 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:10:33 +0000 SRD 10097@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Anth, just spotted <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/14/mark-elms-headteacher-pay-london">this </a>in the comment section of the paper. A very nice, somewhat more personal account. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10092 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:11:39 +0000 wee folding bike 10092@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Normally paid biology teachers do it too.</p> <p>More of a roll model though, if it's got mature cheese and dates or a potato scone on it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10091 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:09:38 +0000 Kim 10091@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes Anth, what is the going rate for a lawyer? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10090 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:08:45 +0000 Kim 10090@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Highly paid head teacher cycles to work..without a helmet" we need more role models like that. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10085 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:20:04 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 10085@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd rather a teacher who did some great work in the wider community was paid £80k a year than some second-rate footballers were paid more than that a WEEK. (and I'm a football fan).</p> <p>Sorry SRD - had a bee in my bonnet about that story since it first broke.</p> <p>The picture is lovely... ;) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10083 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:12:36 +0000 chdot 10083@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<br /> But many parents remained philosophical. "He's good at his job and he enjoys it – that's the most important thing," said one father. "But I'm a little bit down when I hear about wages like that, compared to what we earn. I never imagined he could get that much.<br /> "</p> <p>Understandable</p> <p>"Ted Purcell, GMB public services officer, said: "It is outrageous that a headteacher in a local community school should earn more money than the prime minister."</p> <p>Er?</p> <p>IF <em>no-one</em> should ever earn more than a Prime Minister, then OK but...</p> <p>NOT that <em>this</em> PM needs the money... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10080 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:08:50 +0000 SRD 10080@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Just thought you'ld like the picture accompanying the story! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10073 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:58:47 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 10073@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That one really is a storm in a teacup. His salary is £80k. His salary is NOT £250k. The extra £102k is for additional work, spread over two years. The other payments are for out of hours work, and arrears from the previous year (so again, nothing to do with a salary for THIS year).</p> <p>Again, his salary is NOT the £250k quoted. Shoddy shoddy reporting from much of the media on this (at least the Grauniad has broken it down properly). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-10071 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:46:42 +0000 SRD 10071@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jul/14/tidemill-headteacher-mark-elms-high-pay">Highly paid head teacher cycles to work..without a helmet</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-9946 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:38:26 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 9946@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>'Perception' of danger has changed, rather than the danger itself. A lot of that is to do with the immediate nature of media, and saturated coverage of the dangers in the workd, which until now we'd either been oblivious of, or saw reported in a more measured manner. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-9945 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:36:20 +0000 Kim 9945@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>At what age can children be trusted to go to school by them selves? I was about six when I first walking home by my self, by the age of eight I was cycling on the roads by my self. OK so it was a small village, but has really become so much more dangerous that children can't be let out on their own until they are 12?? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-9932 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:36:32 +0000 scotti 9932@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There is another issue. Our local Primary School will not let the kids out of the school unless there is a "grown up" to collect them. P1 - P3 if I remember right, that's upwards of 50 kids requiring collection. The vast majority walk or cycle, but a lot of those kids will be collected by car. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-9925 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:25:10 +0000 SRD 9925@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The basic issue seems to be lack of parental supervision - i.e. idea that kids under (?) 10 ? 12 always need to have parents watching. Very sad, especially in these days of mobiles etc, when you would think parents could actually feel better letting their kids go off and do stuff. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-9907 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:42:06 +0000 gembo 9907@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm sticking with cars as the problem. When I walked to school there were no cars, stationary or otherwise, just the odd horse drawn carriage. Roads were very safe but we still had geoff capes, kevin keegan and dave prowse warning us about ice cream vans and crossing between parked cars. Gorgie Rd is pretty mental to cycle on but the pavement is mostly car free for pedestrians. The odd delivery van may mount the kerb. If single occupancy cars were banned/taxed more that might reduce the amount of them on the road???</p> <p>I think lots of drivers do know that there are too many cars on the road but they just can't kick the habit for whatever reason - there are usually plenty of reasons but as we have said before much of the traffic on the walk to school in the morning is folk driving their kids to school. If they all gave that up and everyone walked then the risk in walking would come down. Sadly, that isn't likely. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-9867 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:10:32 +0000 Kim 9867@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>" I think the problem is again CARS."</p> <p>No the problem is not Cars, it is drivers! A car without a driver is not going anywhere. It is selfish, lazy drivers that are the problem. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-9866 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 14:18:32 +0000 chdot 9866@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>" I think the problem is again CARS."</p> <p>Yes, but the sort of people who don't think young children should walk/cycle 'these day' are the sort of people who drive to school...</p> <p>Some realise that they are 'part of the problem', but don't really care because 'I'm doing what's best for my child/ren'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024&page=2#post-9865 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 14:15:12 +0000 steveo 9865@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Its less to do with cars and more to do with risk aversion imo, I walked to and from Balgreen Primary and Tynecastle High from the start and on my own from about (P3) onwards both these schools from my house required negotiating Gorgie road which is much quieter than it used to be.</p> <p>My mum was less worried about Gorgie road than she was the rat run round Robs Loan in Chesser, once that was blocked up i was free to go. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9862 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 13:33:01 +0000 gembo 9862@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>As I understand it, it is not just if they cycle. If the 8 year old and the 5 year old want to walk the mile to school on the route with only pavement and the lollipop person for the crossing the school still reports them to Social Services. It would seem to be a risk factor associated with the age of the children and the business of the road. The risk is negligible but the school don't want sued and they interpret their remit as having to assess the risk of the route to school. Boris Johnson's point is that it should be parents who assess the risk and take the consequences. Comrades, I think the problem is again CARS. We walked/cycled to school or I did with no traffic so there was no risk. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9834 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:57:15 +0000 Kim 9834@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Meanwhile in <a href="http://www.bikebiz.com/news/32499/Emission-Impossible-boosts-school-cycling">Brighton and Hove</a> school children cycle to school and back over 9,000 times during one week in June. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9797 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:04:17 +0000 chdot 9797@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>”When your children go to school, you need to think of them as an individual person and not an extension of yourself – listen to them and see exactly how they want to travel to school and try to support that.” </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9796 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:56:13 +0000 Kim 9796@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The latest development is that <a href="http://www.bikebiz.com/news/32491/Cycling-kids-call-for-safer-streets">children are now writing to the PM</a> to ask the Government to make it easier for them to cycle or walk to school safely. Apparently 50 per cent of UK children want to cycle to school, though only two per cent do. Gives me hope for the future. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9644 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:46:00 +0000 steveo 9644@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I couldn't read the against view on the Telegraph website what narrow mined stupidity, i'm rarely of the view "we're all doomed" but....</p> <p>I love the school holidays what a reaxing time to cycle, though i hate the school holidays what a pain to do any thing else. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9642 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:29:22 +0000 SRD 9642@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Anyone else notice how many cars have suddenly been removed from our commute routes? It must be school holidays again. Sigh. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9641 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:27:22 +0000 chdot 9641@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>More(e)</p> <p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/7872970/Should-the-Schonrock-children-be-allowed-to-cycle-to-school-alone.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/7872970/Should-the-Schonrock-children-be-allowed-to-cycle-to-school-alone.html</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9640 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:18:35 +0000 chdot 9640@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I worry about the women. I was in Dulwich last week and they were everywhere, walking up and down the street, completely on their own."</p> <p>Simon Jenkins in ironic mode...</p> <p>and more seriously -</p> <p>"In 1971, 80 per cent of children went to school unaccompanied; today the figure is nine per cent. Walking and cycling to school and the social activity associated with that experience have collapsed."</p> <p>(grammar?! - I blame the subs.)</p> <p><a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23853220-free-our-streets-from-the-fretting-of-the-nanny-state.do" rel="nofollow">http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23853220-free-our-streets-from-the-fretting-of-the-nanny-state.do</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9618 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:40:22 +0000 SRD 9618@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Interestingly, the poll on the Guardian website had more people saying kids should cycle as did the daily Mail one when I looked at it yesterday. these 'polls' obviously totally unscientific, but given 'outrage' one might have expected them to go the other way. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9616 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:31:53 +0000 Kim 9616@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Lets face it, most of went to primary school either on foot or by bike, and we all lived to tell the tail. Why shouldn't children still be able to do it now? Britain has the most overweight and lease happy children in Europe, because the adults don't want to change <em>their</em> behaviour, sad really. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9609 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:50:36 +0000 Smudge 9609@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Apparently it's less than a mile down a very nice bit of London on the pavement and there is a lollopop person at the only busy junction.<br /> For the 5 year old, arguable, depends on the child and knowledge of the area really, for the older one, why wouldn't they cycle??<br /> I know I and my classmates who were close enough all made our own ways to school by foot or bicycle and we didn't die in droves due to not being driven/escorted there.<br /> For once I'm in agreement with a politician, how strange... (Boris, you're not normal dammit!!) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1024#post-9608 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:30:49 +0000 DaveC 9608@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've just listened to Tom Malarky (likely name) talking on R-Scotland (Newsdrive) about why these two children should not cycle to work. When he stated possible reasons for not cycling, like a 'Dog Dirt' moment, the phrase 'clutching at straws' sprung to mind. </p>