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Unless they have a numberplate?
A school statement added: "Our absolute priority is the safety of our students, and the aim of this initiative is simply to ensure their safety as they travel to and from school."
....
Duncan Dollimore, of Cycling UK, said Mr Amin's actions were "part of a trend of head teachers trespassing on parental responsibilities".
Whilst I agree with the latter the schools are also expected to somehow safeguard children outside of school.
Our primary has specific ages at which children are allowed to walk home alone ... which of course is applied as a blanket so that those who live literally along the road (or across a pedestrian bridge) are give the same rules as those that have 3 bus journeys.
IMHO the problem is more generic in that the school have a duty to safeguard children outside the school.
Our primary has specific ages at which children are allowed to walk home alone
I think that's more to do with them being released from school without an adult collecting them. Because that's the end of the school's responsibility. And that's reasonable. What's not reasonable is the school dictating what happens after the child's left the premises, either alone or accompanied.
are also expected to somehow safeguard children outside of school.
It's got **** all to do with that.
It's *all* about heads wanting to be able to respond to complaints about kids riding 'antisocially'/throwing themsleves under 4x4's/taking the primary at junctions.Heads get endless complaints and they just want an easy life - banging a number plate on a kid will do nothign to increase the child's safety but will allow the head to be able to say they're dealign with complainants.
safeguard children outside the school
Surely that’s a Parents responsibility or that of the child?
i don’t think No plates on bikes will make anyone safer - just easier to trace and more accountable. That’s why cars have No plates 😀
How the **** can they be 'stopped cycling to school'? The only stumbling block would be locking the bike once they got there. What a ****er.
I would be interested to see some examples of "incidents of children cycling in a way that endangers themselves and others".
I think that’s more to do with them being released from school without an adult collecting them. Because that’s the end of the school’s responsibility.
But it's not the end of the schools responsibility... nowadays they have a wider duty to protect the children that doesn't stop at the school gates.
In many cases this is a self defines CYA .... if they encourage cycling to school and a kid is killed then they will be part of the investigation as to why kids were not only allowed but encouraged to cycle...
School near me operates a no helmet/no locking your bike up in school policy
Plenty of kids wear a helmet and lock up their bike in the school
A small minority choose not to wear a helmet and lock their bikes up across the road in the local retail park
Kids will always do what they want and will just find a way around it like the above
Schools are making laws now...
I would be interested to see some examples of “incidents of children cycling in a way that endangers themselves and others”.
Like the lad that regularly wheelies up the wrong side of the road on the way to school in the morning.
Mixture of 'he really shouldn't be doing that' with 'little shit, I wish i could do that'
Frankly, he's brilliant and he can probably maneuver the bike better on one wheel than half the cyclists I see can using two, but he's still being a little shit.
Schools are making laws now…
This,. What legally enforceable power has a school got to dictate how a child travels to and from its premises?
This,. What legally enforceable power has a school got to dictate how a child travels to and from its premises?
None. But what it can do is dictate how a pupil's possessions are stored once on its premises.
I would be interested to see some examples of “incidents of children cycling in a way that endangers themselves and others”.
Not if you were driving you wouldn’t !
I live near a high school and see loads every day.
Seems like the game involves doing an (impressive!) wheelie on the wrong side of the road, and playing chicken with oncoming cars. Swerving out of the way at the last second.
10-15 kids doing it every morning/lunchtime/afternoon.
I can totally see what the head in the article is trying to achieve, as these kids are all anonymous (hoodies/bandana etc) so they can’t be reported individually)
But his idea is still ridiculous.
None.
My daughters school has a policy of suspending any pupil seen riding a bike in school uniform while not wearing a helmet. No idea if they've ever done it but there are consequences in the school rules and they can enforce them. Same as if kids in uniform have a fight outside school they would take action.
Is there any mention of the school offering cycling proficiency training? My initial instinct was one of horror but upon reflection I think it's a pretty positive move. Very much agree with the otherjonv and of course that type of behaviour, regardless of his awesome skills, may well result in injury both to himself and other road users.
It actually puts the responsibility back to the parents for teaching awareness skills cos otherwise they'll be none the wiser what their offspring get up to with their bike.
Predictable responses on BBC have your say 😒
#bikelife
c_g - most schools require a bikeability certificate before they'll let a kid store their bike on the school grounds now.
Thanks wwaswas, didn't know that and curious as to whether checks are done. Any idea?
I can see where he's coming from.
My Mrs has had issues with a particular lad at the local high school when walking our 7y/o daughter to school.
He insists on belting along the pavement and squeezing though gaps between people - wouldn't be so bad if he announced his presence - but he doesn't.
Luckily she know who he is through other kids & friends - so she's pulled him up over it a couple of times and basically said 'I know who you are and if do it again and I'll report you to the Head' - seems to have sorted it.
Lets face it - even though you aren't in school you still represent the school whilst in uniform.
Of course there's nothing stopping the kids taking the plate off as soon as they leave the school grounds.....
What about all the parents driving and parking irresponsibly shouldn't they have number plates too, oh wait no - fat lot of good it does we all know. This will just end up with school dealing with even more "frustrated of magnolia close" reporting kids cycling on pavement etc How big are the plates going to have to be to be "useful" and just how would they be attached to the bike.🤔
Well, it's in London, so like a different world.
My kid is now in his last year of school, has had awards for 100% attendance most years and has ridden his bike every single day.
He won't wear a helmet. The school has locked bike sheds. I'm glad my son goes to a decent school and not that shit heap in London, basically.
Obviously, if he went there it would be far better for all if his mother drove him to school.
If the plates were long enough to act as wheelie bars it would probably do the trick , the current trend for mono wheeling is quite scary.
My son commuted by bike for several years in London and was exasperated by what he called "nodders" who clearly had no idea of how to ride a bike, let alone on the road. Rarely were any police around to pull them up.
Regardless, cyclists should not be easy prey whilst the standard of car driving goes unchecked.
Stupid fing idea.
Blatant CYA as said above.
the current trend for mono wheeling is quite scary.
Yes! I see them wheelying in the opposite direction to me on their way to school. They ride in the bus/cycle lane and pretty much never have their front wheel on the ground. It makes me smile, but then I'm weird.
Presumably said plate will use some kind of standard fixture so it works with *all* bikes, and also be both big enough to be visible at a distance and also read from any angle, oh and also it'll magically hop between bikes should the naughty one have have a go on his mates bike etc.
What a load of nonsense, it's a terrible terrible idea, and if you want to identify the child rather than the bike then you'd put the plate on them, which is also a terrible idea.
saw this and I think a little bit of me died!
rather than encouraging a more active life style for the children to help tackle childhood obesity they focus on the negative, not to mention they have no right to implement such a policy off school premises.
lots of people here saying what a stupid plan it is, why not email the head and tell Mr Amin your thoughts: office@stanleyhighpark.org.uk
so many positive ways they could improve:
cycling proficiency as a before/after school club
awareness training
campaign to council for 20mph limit or cycle lanes,
encouraging letters to parents
etc
etc
etc
If this catches on how long until we are all required to have a numberplate!
thin end of the wedge this imo.
It will be lauded as the way all bikes should be monitored. Look its working for kids so lets roll it out nationally.
bring back the clip around the ear i say. 🙂
My daughters school has a policy of suspending any pupil seen riding a bike in school uniform while not wearing a helmet.
There's a reason exclusions in Scottish schools are down to a fifth of English schools....
Imo this whole saga is a head battling to react to the numerous know it alls and complainers, a school being seen as the only place where education and citizenship can be inflicted on the next generation and a community who prioritise much over bringing up children.
I see it every day, I am a teacher and in the morning/home time look out the window and am left marvelling/fearing for my pupils. We have a thing where it is cool to take the brakes off your bike. Every so often the police come with a van and confiscate a pile of bikes, come back a month later and do it again.
"so many positive ways they could improve:
cycling proficiency as a before/after school club
awareness training
campaign to council for 20mph limit or cycle lanes,
encouraging letters to parents"
Been a while since you were in school then?
Imo this whole saga is a head battling to react to the numerous know it alls and complainers, a school being seen as the only place where education and citizenship can be inflicted on the next generation and a community who prioritise much over bringing up children.
Oh, I completely agree .... however being what it is you can see why the school are trying to CYA.
duckman - not sure memory is hazy, but i think it was this morning with my son and daughter!
If this catches on how long until we are all required to have a numberplate!
Date with a woman last night, she comes out with this! All bikes should be taxed and number plated... I'm not sure if my rant persuaded her otherwise... (but there will be no more dates 😆 )
Yeah Dave...as the one was GETTING dropped off!
Imo this whole saga is a head battling to react to the numerous know it alls and complainers
To be fair, the head at the school near me must be run ragged with complaints about the “wheelie down the wrong side of the road” thing (see my post above)
These people are not “know it alls and complainers” they are people who see reckless and dangerous shit going on every day and want it stopped. But as the school can not identify who is responsible, they are struggling to find a solution.
I dont’t think number plates are the right solution, same as most people, but I do feel for the guy in the OP link, he is trying to do the right thing and sort out the issues, and he’s just getting slated for it.
Would be far better if people helped with ideas rather than “thin end of wedge” arguments.
Hes not trying to remove freedoms, or overstep the mark or on a power trip etc, he would much rather not have the issue to deal with at all I’m sure.
School clearly run by Daily Mail readers. They'll be charging them a tax to ride to school next. Do they all have Hi-Viz, helmets and insurance?
As for the "reckless" stuff kids get up to on bikes, it's no different to back in my day (talking 70s/80s!) except far fewer kids on bikes (and way too many on girly scooters 😛 ), and of course way fewer Chelsea Tractors. The lack of the latter means kids dicking around on bikes is really not much of a problem.
Also used to be in my day that what happened outside the school gates was none of the school's business. That's why fights were arranged outside of the gates 😀
I wonder about the competency of the leadership team that introduced this. Five minutes thinking through the consequences should have made the problems obvious. Unenforceable, anti active travel, and enough bad publicity to keep you very busy, I would think.
they are people who see reckless and dangerous shit going on every day and want it stopped.
They probably just see kids on bikes "in their way". They park on the zigzags, drop their kids off and drive on to work and get adults on bikes "in their way".
ITV are having a vote - it was 70:30 in favour of number plates, that number has now swung
they are people who see reckless and dangerous shit going on every day and want it stopped.
They probably just see kids on bikes “in their way”. They park on the zigzags, drop their kids off and drive on to work and get adults on bikes “in their way”.
No 🙄 They are specific complaints about a group of kids doing wheelies down the wrong side of the road and playing chicken with oncoming cars.
Kids that can’t be identified and dealt with by the school/head. Hence why I mentioned it. Because it’s relevant to the idea of some way to identify the specific person you want to complain about.
I thought it was quite clear but obviously not.
hey are people who see reckless and dangerous shit going on every day and want it stopped
So do something. Don't Palm it off on the school.
Dangerous riding on road? Call police.
Fancy nipping it in the bud? Set up a yoof MTB club.
Want to understand why kids feel the need to behave like this? (It's a positive reason for them btw) Go and get volunteered at a youth club.
They are well intentioned, but the school is not the place to expect to put a plan into place for this - the results of their planning is clear...
Roller skates/blades and scooters are the future! Never seen anyone using those irresponsibly… 🤥
[i]Want to understand why kids feel the need to behave like this?[/i]
Because they're kids?
Cycling proficiency courses at the school might be a better way forward. I know I enjoyed mine some 35 years ago..
Learn a bit of road sense, maybe get the local Bobby and cycle team in to show a few videos or give talks of how cycling accidents can end up? And how it should be done.. A bit of positive reinforcement goes a long way.
Making lots of random rules is asking for rebellion lol! Education is far more effective, expecially with it being a school and all.
Mixture of ‘he really shouldn’t be doing that’ with ‘little shit, I wish i could do that’
Lol 😆
So do something. Don’t Palm it off on the school.
I'm not palming anything off on anyone, I am not bothered if they end up spread out under a bus to be honest. I’m just explaining why the head in this story may feel the need to try and do something about the situation,
Dangerous riding on road? Call police.
This also gets done regularly. The police are doubtless sick of hearing the same complaint too.
But it Still happens every day.
Also riding dirt bikes and scooters (in the same way) no helmets, no licence, tax or insurance (as the bikes aren’t road legal, no lights/indicators/number plates etc)
This is all in broad daylight through the middle of a busy village high street
The Police seem powerless to do anything about either of these issues. As do the school (obviously)
I know a couple of primary heads. They are forever fielding calls from locals about parking, school run, behaviour etc. Calls that take up time from more important duties. People parking inconsiderably is the most common. At least there he can ask for the reg and put in the school bulletin and quickly look like he’s doing something.
This head is probably fed up with calls about cycling and just wanted to do something to reduce this workload. It might not be the right solution but I can see why they wanted to do something and be seen to do it.