I note the issue of school drops offs is back in the news - the fiasco that is the school gate.

We've had schools taking matters into their own hands, schools photographing parents who break the rules and then naming and shaming them in the school newsletter, we have the Wellington school now getting the council involved.

Many schools have parking wardens to ticket parents cars.

As a parent who has over the years dropped 5 kids to 4 different schools, and picked them back up again, I know the pain and angst of the school drop off all too well. The over crowded streets, the chaos at the gate, the illegal turns, the double.. sometimes triple.. parking blocking the road.

No one would argue it’s not a fiasco. But here’s the thing, just blaming parents like a blanket group of offenders, doesn’t solve the problem. Principals calling out ‘helicopter parents’ labelling everyone in the same basket doesn’t help.

There are many reasons parents struggle with drop offs to and from school and absolutely it needs addressing. I’m not justifying bad behaviour at the gate, I’m just saying most parents don’t set out to drive like maniacs around schools.

We all know how hectic mornings can be for parents.

Dragging kids out of bed, packing lunches and school bags, nagging kids to get shoes on and eat some breakfast, asking them over and over to to brush their teeth and feed the dog, dealing with the hysteria over missing socks or PE gear, it’s not always a a walk in the park.

Parents themselves are often rushing on to work, some children require more cajoling than others, mornings are stressful. So yes, perhaps parents could get more organised, but in regards to kids walking to school:
Have you seen the mountain of stuff kids carry these days?

Most kids are weighed down with laptops, books, PE bags, art projects, a musical instrument and god knows what else they have to take to school. They simply can’t manage it all. Perhaps if kids had one book, a lunchbox and some PE shorts they could walk or bike. But have you seen the stationery lists alone for schools these days?

Walking is just not an option for many kids. But then the reality of all the cars just highlights how little parking schools have and how many are located on small streets.

The most effective school gate management policy I’ve seen is staggered pick up times.

Just by delaying age groups leaving times within the school, by 5 minutes apart, the school managed to stagger both the foot and road traffic outside school.

Obviously something needs to be done to counter school gate chaos, but just targeting all parents as baddies and blaming them isn’t it.