Tweet
An article in this morning's Oregonian stated that the number of children on bicycles has dropped dramatically in the recent years.
Directly related to the number of number of children not riding bikes or walking to school was the soaring levels of obese children.
From 1960 to 2000, the number of children who bike or walk to school fell 68 percent; levels of obese children rose 367%!
In the Portland Metro area, the percentage of kids who walk or ride their bikes to school is just 10%! The rest of the children are driven to school by their parents or they ride the bus.
At the elementary school where I taught, there was a busy street one block in front of our school. At the intersection there was a traffic light. Our school also provided a crossing guard. Despite both the traffic light and the crossing guard, our administration had the policy that any child living more than 1 block away was entitled to bus service to and from school!
During the recession here in Oregon from 2001-2004 when cuts to schools resulted in program terminations and increased class sizes, we teachers implored the administration to limit bus service to save tens of thousands of dollars.
The administration countered that because America has become such a litigious society, they did not want to risk a child being hit by a car at the intersection and the parents suing the school district. In their view, it was fiscally prudent to spend the tens of thousands of dollars a year to bus kids a few blocks to school than risk a multi-million dollar lawsuit of a child being hit by a car.
The result was a factor of our children riding the bus for a few blocks to school instead of walking or riding their bikes. In turn, it was a factor leading to increased childhood obesity.
Of course, curtailing childhood obesity should not primarily be the challenge of the schools. First and foremost, the responsibility lies with the parents. They need to monitor their children's diets and encourage physical activity.
Directly related to the number of number of children not riding bikes or walking to school was the soaring levels of obese children.
From 1960 to 2000, the number of children who bike or walk to school fell 68 percent; levels of obese children rose 367%!
In the Portland Metro area, the percentage of kids who walk or ride their bikes to school is just 10%! The rest of the children are driven to school by their parents or they ride the bus.
At the elementary school where I taught, there was a busy street one block in front of our school. At the intersection there was a traffic light. Our school also provided a crossing guard. Despite both the traffic light and the crossing guard, our administration had the policy that any child living more than 1 block away was entitled to bus service to and from school!
During the recession here in Oregon from 2001-2004 when cuts to schools resulted in program terminations and increased class sizes, we teachers implored the administration to limit bus service to save tens of thousands of dollars.
The administration countered that because America has become such a litigious society, they did not want to risk a child being hit by a car at the intersection and the parents suing the school district. In their view, it was fiscally prudent to spend the tens of thousands of dollars a year to bus kids a few blocks to school than risk a multi-million dollar lawsuit of a child being hit by a car.
The result was a factor of our children riding the bus for a few blocks to school instead of walking or riding their bikes. In turn, it was a factor leading to increased childhood obesity.
Of course, curtailing childhood obesity should not primarily be the challenge of the schools. First and foremost, the responsibility lies with the parents. They need to monitor their children's diets and encourage physical activity.
)
:P
Comment