How does your child get to school?

That's interesting that only your bother was trusted to go by bicycle.

I did that too when my son was very young but that was in the UK. Here the school buses won't take responsibility for the children until primary school age.

I agree with the morning walk, it can get pretty cold early in the morning here though in winter especially when it is only just getting light.

Gosh that is early, I thought school started early here at 8am.

Wow! I have enough trouble getting my kids ready for their 9AM start!!!

School here start at 07.00 am, thanks God that his school near from our house so my son could wake up at 06.00 am every morning and never late arrive a school:)

What time does school finish there Chris? That is an early start!!! Here in Australia, their day goes from 9am to 3pm....6 hours a day!

Your children are lucky to be close enough to walk to school. I agree that it is when the weather is bad that the car has to come out.

Hello RawBill, your drive seems to take about the same amount of time as mine and ours is also a winding country road, quite narrow, but with an intersection that makes it too busy in the mornings for my son to cross. Unlike you I don't have to pay for the school bus service, it is free. However the return service only operates for the end of morning lessons at 1.30 and does not run for the end of the optional school day which ends at 4. So as this service is not provided the parents who opt for all day school are credited with a yearly payment into our banks to cover the lack of service. I think that is pretty unique and have never heard of it being implemented else where.

Yes, RawBill...it's safer for the children and you have 8 mins everymorning to talk each other before they go in to school..it's a nice family moment:)

Wow Thea, I have never heard of a school day like that before. I thought everyone in the world just sent their kids to school for the day and that was it. It seems strange to me having that option! I am not sure if that would work over here in Australia.:-)

Dear thea,

This is the first time I heard school bus fares are absorbed by the
Government. Great to hear that, and it is really 'a heart for
the people' to even credit the money into the bank for not able
to provide the transportation at later hour. Wow, two thumbs up
for this benefits!

In Malaysia the school bus is very expensive!

Hello pmbhuntress, how on earth did a known drug dealer continue to live in the same house without being arrested? And a pervert too. Hope your area cleans up soon for your sake and that of your children.

Dear pmbhuntress & thea,

I believe all these really make parents worry for their children safety.
I hope the authority will take action about this and help to create
a friendly society and safe neighbourhood to live in. Btw, the school
transport/ school bus has a bus conductor to help out or not?

All the best and take care..

Dear thea,

Btw, during our time walking in a rural area, miles and miles,
even after sunset is safe. But nowadays, even broad dayllight,
in a crowded place, in front of the school is no longer safe.

There are cases secondary school children being kidnapped and
raped. Some kidnapped for ransom, to sell the organs or being
amputated and became forced beggars. Two three years ago, there
are cases children was stolen, almost every week for some ritual.
It is real scary, witnesses saw the girl was catch and forced into
a van at a night market, she screamed but no one came to help.
Two weeks later, she was found being raped and killed.

It is really not safe nowadays..

Hi Iriene, that is unbelievable the change between the safety of your own school days and present day. I understand why you take your son to school. Sometimes children can disappear or be taken by strangers in Western coutries but you make it sound as if this a regular threat in Malayasia. The thought of a child being stolen like that for organs is horrible, and young girls raped from school. I hope the authorities there have made an effort to stop these practices.
Are the organs stolen to take to other middle east countries or are the reasons unknown. I presume the people who do this are being paid by a third party, I hope that they are exposed and punished too if the person is caught.

Hi click, I think driving a child on a ten minute walk is ludicrous unless it's pouring down. As long as it's not pouring I send mine on the ten minute walk to the bus stop. There is no bus back in the afternoons and I collect him by car as it's a good half hours walk but uphill with a heavy school bag. I would let him walk back alone but the school won't allow the child to leave on their own even though some walk there on their own in the morning which is much more dangerous as there's lots of traffic at 8.
Definitely the traffic in the morning is an issue as the roads are narrow, the drivers are crazy, and my son would need to cross the bit of main road where all the immigrants hang around waiting for work so all the work vans are converging there causing further chaos.
I just hope that when school resumes in another month that the school bus is no longer on strike.

Hi sunnysmiles, we've no option but to drive them if busy roads are involved especially with manic drivers on the loose. I think that here we are very lucky to have the school buses but on the days my son can't use them, when it is too wet to walk down the dirt track to the pick up point, I hate to have to drive him. There is one busy crossroads, not the type you'd imagine in England at all, but cars line up from 2 directions to try and cross the main road. After that the road is just about wide enough in some places for two cars to pass but if a school bus is returning back along that road from the school forget it, they have right of way just because they are bigger and a whole trail of cars trying to get to the school has to back up in unison. It's a real ordeal.