View Full Version : Subsidised School Run
A while back I posted about the absurd situation at the
school where I teach. Parents who drive their children to
school enjoy an £70 per annum subsidy. An annual "School Run
Permit" costs just £10 allowing 40 minutes parking per day
for about 200 days.
This subsidy is to be withdrawn. The parents are raising a
petition (at the school's (and taxpayers') expense). What is
the best way to counter this petition?
Gonzalez wrote:
> A while back I posted about the absurd situation at the
> school where I teach. Parents who drive their children to
> school enjoy an £70 per annum subsidy. An annual "School
> Run Permit" costs just £10 allowing 40 minutes parking per
> day for about 200 days.
>
> This subsidy is to be withdrawn. The parents are raising a
> petition (at the school's (and taxpayers') expense). What
> is the best way to counter this petition?
Going to be difficult because they'll be going for the
sympathy vote (couldn't possible let Jemima walk to the
school, and the full parking fee is going to mean we have to
sell the Range Rover).
I'd suggest wading in with the Government's recent "healthy
living" promotion; 60 minutes exercise a day for kiddies
being the target. A fast 30 minute walk each way to school
would mean they'd done their quota in full.
That and pointing out the subsidy from the parents of kids
who do walk/cycle/bus to school.
--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/ Replies to
newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.
"Gonzalez" <speedy.gonzalez@nospam.basher.com> wrote in message
news:59k290da839gerfsm3mu3ut06etehes0ap@4ax.com...
> A while back I posted about the absurd situation at the
> school where I teach. Parents who drive their children to
> school enjoy an £70 per annum subsidy. An annual "School
> Run Permit" costs just £10 allowing 40 minutes parking per
> day for about 200 days.
>
> This subsidy is to be withdrawn. The parents are raising a
> petition (at the school's (and taxpayers') expense). What
> is the best way to counter this petition?
Sorry - where's the subsidy?
Russ
On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 20:10:51 +0100, Gonzalez
<speedy.gonzalez@nospam.basher.com> wrote:
>A while back I posted about the absurd situation at the
>school where I teach. Parents who drive their children to
>school enjoy an £70 per annum subsidy. An annual "School
>Run Permit" costs just £10 allowing 40 minutes parking per
>day for about 200 days.
>
>This subsidy is to be withdrawn. The parents are raising a
>petition (at the school's (and taxpayers') expense). What
>is the best way to counter this petition?
I'm assuming the school charges for parking for those
without a permit and that the £70 subsidy is the
revenue forgone.
Think of a few worthy uses for £80 * (number of permits) and
ask the headmaster whether he prefers school resources to be
spent on (a) books and other educational stuff or (b)
parking for parents rich enough to own cars.
I don't know how many pupils can be cycle-trained for £80
but that'd be a good use of the cash which would go towards
meeting whatever targets schools have these days for
exercise, safety and reduced CO2 emmissions.
My rough calcs show that the school is charging 50p per
hour for parking. Might be worth calculating the real value
of the land and coming up with a truely unsubsidised price
for parking.
--
Transport & Urban Planning Blog
now at http://notonmywatch.blogs.com (http://notonmywatch.blogs.com/)
"NC" <me@privacy.net> writed in
news:c6rli3$fn617$1@ID-100732.news.uni-berlin.de:
> Gonzalez wrote:
>> A while back I posted about the absurd situation at the
>> school where I teach. Parents who drive their children to
>> school enjoy an £70 per annum subsidy. An annual "School
>> Run Permit" costs just £10 allowing 40 minutes parking
>> per day for about 200 days.
>>
>> This subsidy is to be withdrawn. The parents are raising
>> a petition (at the school's (and taxpayers') expense).
>> What is the best way to counter this petition?
>
> Going to be difficult because they'll be going for the
> sympathy vote (couldn't possible let Jemima walk to the
> school, and the full parking fee is going to mean we have
> to sell the Range Rover).
>
> I'd suggest wading in with the Government's recent
> "healthy living" promotion; 60 minutes exercise a day for
> kiddies being the target. A fast 30 minute walk each way
> to school would mean they'd done their quota in full.
Healthy Schools? - Get the School Nurse on board (Every
school should have a link to the School Nursing Service
through your local Primary Care Trust). School Nurses are
key in the Healthy Schools initiative in many areas.
>
>
>
On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 20:46:42 +0100, "Russ"
<russellspamjunknothanks@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
>
>"Gonzalez" <speedy.gonzalez@nospam.basher.com> wrote in
>message news:59k290da839gerfsm3mu3ut06etehes0ap@4ax.com...
>> A while back I posted about the absurd situation at the
>> school where I teach. Parents who drive their children to
>> school enjoy an £70 per annum subsidy. An annual "School
>> Run Permit" costs just £10 allowing 40 minutes parking
>> per day for about 200 days.
>>
>> This subsidy is to be withdrawn. The parents are raising
>> a petition (at the school's (and taxpayers') expense).
>> What is the best way to counter this petition?
>
>Sorry - where's the subsidy?
It's me who should apologise.
The school is in Inner London. Most children live within a
mile of the school. Parking is in Blackheath Station Car
Park run by Lewisham Council. The car park costs are 10p for
10 minutes.
"Gonzalez" <speedy.gonzalez@nospam.basher.com> wrote in message
news:83s2901r4cvbq52198hubf2beeuroniife@4ax.com...
> It's me who should apologise.
>
> The school is in Inner London. Most children live within a
> mile of the school. Parking is in Blackheath Station Car
> Park run by Lewisham Council. The car park costs are 10p
> for 10 minutes.
As a parent who drives his kid to school in Lewisham every
morning (before cycling into work in town) I'd like to say
driving slowly and blocking the traffic is great fun.
So I say withdraw the subsidy and let them all park in the
middle of the road ;o).
On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 20:23:06 GMT, Mike Gayler
<gaylers@REMOVEntlworld.com> wrote:
>Healthy Schools? - Get the School Nurse on board (Every
>school should have a link to the School Nursing Service
>through your local Primary Care Trust). School Nurses are
>key in the Healthy Schools initiative in many areas.
Shameless plug:
http://www.artybee.net/html/cycle_to_school.html
Slash their f***ing 18" £250 tyres, all 4 by f***ing 4 of
them.
Everyday my 2 school-age nippers and either I or my wife
cycle them to and from school. And *every* day we struggle
past the cars blocking the way, or accelerating past us to
stop again and leave no gap by the kerb etc etc.
Almost every one of these idle, ignorant f***wits lives
within 2 miles.... 2 miles!!!!!!
I understand the safety concern -- so why not walk or cycle
with them?
Sorry for swearing.
Gonzalez wrote:
> A while back I posted about the absurd situation at the
> school where I teach. Parents who drive their children to
> school enjoy an £70 per annum subsidy. An annual "School
> Run Permit" costs just £10 allowing 40 minutes parking per
> day for about 200 days.
>
> This subsidy is to be withdrawn. The parents are raising a
> petition (at the school's (and taxpayers') expense). What
> is the best way to counter this petition?
injuryprone wrote:
> Almost every one of these idle, ignorant f***wits lives
> within 2 miles.... 2 miles!!!!!! I understand the safety
> concern -- so why not walk or cycle with them?
Because then they might be run over by some witless cager in
a 4x4. The ability to perceive the obvious is not granted to
these people.
--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk (http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/)
Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!
On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 09:56:59 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know?
<outlook.bugs@microsoft.com> wrote:
> injuryprone wrote:
>
>> Almost every one of these idle, ignorant f***wits lives
>> within 2 miles.... 2 miles!!!!!! I understand the safety
>> concern -- so why not walk or cycle with them?
>
> Because then they might be run over by some witless cager
> in a 4x4. The ability to perceive the obvious is not
> granted to these people.
This is a persistent problem at a school just around the
corner from my office. I pass each day (on foot) and there
are numerous cars, mostly 4x4s[1] waiting on the yellow
zigzags, on the double yellow lines which extend beyond the
zigzags and in the marked bus bay. There is always free
space a few yards down the road in designated parking bays.
Yesterday took the biscuit when a landrover filled the one
gap in the zigzagged area at high speed just because the
driver saw her little dear. She didn't hit anyone else's
little dear but it's only a matter of time. Amazingly there
is always a teacher on duty but they don't seem too bothered
about the parking. I think a letter to the
headmaster/mistress is in order
Colin
[1] Very expensive ones as this is The Bow School.
--
"Frank X" <Frank_spam52@yahoo.ie> wrote in message news:<c6rvaa$fehe7$1@ID-103389.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> "Gonzalez" <speedy.gonzalez@nospam.basher.com> wrote in
> message news:83s2901r4cvbq52198hubf2beeuroniife@4ax.com...
> > The school is in Inner London. Most children live within
> > a mile of the school. Parking is in Blackheath Station
> > Car Park run by Lewisham Council. The car park costs are
> > 10p for 10 minutes.
>
> As a parent who drives his kid to school in Lewisham every
> morning (before cycling into work in town) I'd like to say
> driving slowly and blocking the traffic is great fun.
>
> So I say withdraw the subsidy and let them all park in the
> middle of the road ;o).
it might be fun for you but speaking as someone who cycles
that way to work daily (with my daughter on the back once
a week to the childminder who we deliberately chose to be
on my commute) I find the blocking and delays frustrating.
Now I don't single school run traffic out from any other
rush hour traffic but school run parking is a particular
safety issue.
best wishes james
Colin Blackburn wrote:
> I think a letter to the headmaster/mistress is in order
I would write to the Chair of the Governors, and also ask
them for a copy of their Travel Plan.
--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk (http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/)
Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!
In article <opr69h9eiwyxrafp@nntphost.dur.ac.uk>,
Colin Blackburn <colin.blackburn@durham.ac.uk> wrote:
> This is a persistent problem at a school just around the
> corner from my office. I pass each day (on foot) and there
> are numerous cars, mostly 4x4s[1] waiting on the yellow
> zigzags, on the double yellow lines which
> [...]
> parking. I think a letter to the headmaster/mistress is
> in order
Or the police. Outside the junior school my elder attends
there's been parking havoc, which the school and the police
have together stopped by having a policeman outside for a
week ticketing everyone who parked incorrectly. He makes
occasional, unannouced, return visits, with a zero-tolerance
policy. No warnings, no quiet words, just a fixed penalty.
The problem has, for practical purposes, evaporated.
ian
On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 10:12:03 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know?
<outlook.bugs@microsoft.com> wrote:
> Colin Blackburn wrote:
>> I think a letter to the headmaster/mistress is in order
>
> I would write to the Chair of the Governors, and also ask
> them for a copy of their Travel Plan.
It's a private school I didn't think they had such things.
Colin
--
Gonzalez <speedy.gonzalez@nospam.basher.com> said:
> This subsidy is to be withdrawn. The parents are raising a
> petition (at the school's (and taxpayers') expense). What
> is the best way to counter this petition?
I believe Mr Larrington has the answer... :)
Probably encouraging the local press to splash "Greedy
parents take money from schools" is the best way,
though there's always the risk the press will side with
the parents.
Regards,
-david
Colin Blackburn wrote:
>> I would write to the Chair of the Governors, and also ask
>> them for a copy of their Travel Plan.
> It's a private school I didn't think they had such things.
Governors or travel plans?
--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk (http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/)
Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!
On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 10:40:55 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know?
<outlook.bugs@microsoft.com> wrote:
> Colin Blackburn wrote:
>
>>> I would write to the Chair of the Governors, and also
>>> ask them for a copy of their Travel Plan.
>
>> It's a private school I didn't think they had such
>> things.
>
> Governors or travel plans?
Both. You wrote 'Chair of the Governors' and 'Travel Plan'
My plural reflected the two objects you referred to. Sorry
to be pedantic but it makes perfect sense and was a genuine
thought. Their website makes no mention whatsoever of a
Chair or a Board of Governors. It does stress that the
school provides a safe environment for children (though that
probably refers to inside the school boundary.)
Colin
--
Colin Blackburn wrote:
>>> It's a private school I didn't think they had such
>>> things.
>> Governors or travel plans?
> Both. You wrote 'Chair of the Governors' and 'Travel Plan'
> My plural reflected the two objects you referred to. Sorry
> to be pedantic but it makes perfect sense and was a
> genuine thought.
I would be surprised if they did not have a board of
governors. A travel plan? That is increasingly becoming a
requirement for LEA and aided schools (including foundation
schools which are LEA funded); a private school which
receives no LEA funding may well not have one.
--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk (http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/)
Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!
james wrote:
> it might be fun for you but speaking as someone who cycles
> that way to work daily (with my daughter on the back once
> a week to the childminder who we deliberately chose to be
> on my commute) I find the blocking and delays frustrating.
> Now I don't single school run traffic out from any other
> rush hour traffic but school run parking is a particular
> safety issue.
>
> best wishes james
<rant> The school across the road from my girlfriend causes
havoc every morning and afternoon as the parents with
learning difficulties arrive in their 4be4s with Jemima and
Tarquin, how do I know they've got learning difficulties you
ask? Well they can't read the big f*%k off yellow writing up
and down the road that says things like DO NOT PARK HERE
SCHOOL and KEEP CLEAR SCHOOL with big yellow zig-zags. They
then leave there 4x4 Grand Cherokee Thunder Patrol Meisters
there and natter away for 10 minutes with other parents on
the playground, no doubt discussing the merits of various
brands of winches.
Weve voiced our concerns with the traffic wardens who ignore
these illegally parked cars citing their reason as "we are
leniant at this time of day". Are they F*%k.
I dozy twat I am, not sure what day it is, fill the wrong
f-ing date in on a visitors permit and park down a quiet
side street at school run time and get an f-ing 40 quid
fine. In future I shall park sideways on the f-ing zig-zag
with the f-ing big writing that says DO NOT PARK HERE!!!!
GRrrrrrrrr.
</rant>
I feel better now.
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