Image credit: Rebecca Cleaver

Parent put the brakes on kids riding to school

Parents put the brakes on children riding their bikes to school

MATTHEW MOORE

March 21, 2012

bike-to-school

The number of children who walk, cycle or take public transport to school has fallen to new lows. Photo: Angela Wylie

AUSTRALIAN children are now among the most ''cosseted'' and ''chauffeured'' in the world, with a study showing more than 60 per cent are driven to and from school as the numbers who walk, cycle and take public transport fall to new lows.

A Heart Foundation survey of how today's young Australians get to and from primary and high school shows a complete reversal in transport use has taken place in the past 40 years.

A 1970 study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that 84 per cent of all students in primary school, high school, university and TAFE travelled by public transport, walking and cycling, with just 16 per cent using cars. The new study shows that 63 per cent are driven to and from school while active transport use has plummeted.

to school stats

Precise comparisons of student travel have become impossible since the ABS stopped its regular surveys, but the Heart Foundation study provides dramatic evidence it says helps explain why Australia has become one of the world's most obese nations.

The nationwide study of 1000 parents, which allowed them to nominate multiple transport modes, found 63 per cent said their children travelled by car, 25 per cent said walking, 21 per cent said public transport, 11 per cent said bikes and 3 per cent said other means.

Dr Jan Garrard, an expert in health promotion at Deakin University, said the results showed Australian children were now some of the most cosseted and chauffeured in the world and recent research in Victoria said the trend away from active transport appeared to be still under way.

The survey, co-sponsored by the Cycling Promotion Fund, found safety concerns were the major reason parents would not allow children to ride a bike to school, with 51 per cent of parents citing ''personal safety''.

Traffic worries were cited by 50 per cent, 44 per cent were concerned about intersections and crossings and 42 per cent named the speed of traffic as the reason they would not let children ride to school.

Dr Garrard said some of the dangers parents felt were not based on sound evidence.

''There's been an increase in parents' perceptions of the danger, including where a child is kidnapped in Portugal, the UK or the USA, suddenly everybody knows about it around the world. But you could argue the greatest risk is sitting at home eating chips because that will probably do them more harm in the long run,'' she said.

The chief executive of the Heart Foundation, Lyn Roberts, said the survey showed nearly two-thirds of parents would let their children ride to school if there were safe routes and that building separated cycleways was a critical way to encourage children to ride and improve health levels.

''We urge all levels of government to invest to ensure the next generation is able to adopt healthy and active options for their daily trip to school,'' she said.

''Cycling to school is clearly something that children are able to do and parents want to encourage, but they're being let down by a lack of safe cycle paths. We're missing a huge opportunity to tackle childhood obesity, reduce carbon emissions and ease road congestion.''

Channel 7 news report on baby boom in suburbs where Kennet closed down schools

SKY High group confident of progress towards local secondary school under Baillieu government

Sunday, 27 November 2011 00:00

Media Release

The SKY High Working Group says it has a renewed confidence in the fight for a high school in the Seddon, Kingsville and Yarraville area after negotiations with the new State Government.

Since the group's meeting with Education Minister Martin Dixon in late July 2011 a core group of SKY High committee members have met regularly with officials from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Spokesperson Susan Douglass said SKY High was very confident in the current process. "The Department Education Early Childhood Development has now agreed to a new study to review the need to secondary school provisioning for the inner west.

"As part of this process we continue to engage openly and actively with all local schools to ensure the best overall education outcomes in the inner west."

"With the assistance of the Maribyrnong City Council we are expecting new population projections to become available in December. We are looking forward to solid progress continuing in 2012 in the work towards achieving a local high school for youngsters in this area," she said.

"As we move into the festive season the SKY High membership committee will continue activities at local community events to encourage new families to register their support for a local secondary school.

"We know parents will be delighted if a local school is established, so that their children don't have to travel out of the area, and because a new school will be a great community focus and community resource.

"We encourage everyone to join our Facebook page for regular updates on the SKY High Working Group and to sign up as a member via our website.

"The final SKY High meeting for 2011 will be held on Monday 5th of December, 8pm at the Yarraville Club in Stephen Street, Yarraville, and we invite all who are interested to come along. We are looking forward to sharing our results for 2011."

For further SKY High information, please see www.skyhigh.org.au or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Or follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/SKY-High

Media Enquiries: Susan Douglass m: 0488 600 842 e: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or Janine Lloyd m: 0424 646 595 e: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I like SKY High

Thursday, 14 July 2011 00:00

The Seddon, Kingsville, Yarraville (SKY) High Working Group (WG) has launched its new Facebook site.

The page is being launched with a questionnaire that will be used to update information on the level of support for a local secondary college. Everyone who completes the online questionnaire will go into a draw for some great prizes from SKY local businesses Babies and Kids and Catnaps.

SKY High spokesperson Ms. Janine Lloyd say the "along with our website, the Facebook page will be the place for members to go to get the latest SKY High news. Our members will have a convenient way to be up to date with the latest information. For example, we will be able to update our members about the outcome from our meeting with the Education Minister on the 21st July - the same day that we meet with the minister" says Ms. Lloyd.

NEWS about SKY

Meeting Dates

The following SKY High Meetings have been announced:

Monday 7th May

Where: Yarraville Club, 135 Stephen Street Yarraville 3013

Time: 8pm

The SKY High Working Group thanks the following for their ongoing support: