How far should your child’s school be from home?
•Experts support nearness
By Adesina Wahab
LIVING in some cities in Nigeria, some parents and guardians are confronted with where their children and wards are going to attend schools, especially if they will be going from home. In a place like Lagos and most other cities, people change jobs and accommodation and therefore, may need to change the schools of their children and wards.
However, due to some factors such as having confidence in the quality and standards of some schools, or not wanting to break the rhythm some pupils and students have been used to over a long period of time, some parents do stick to some schools when their new accommodation is far away.
This is why in Lagos for instance, one sees school buses setting forth as early as 5am to pick pupils and students from their homes. The return journey is also not less stressful, as some pupils and students are usually seen in such school buses late at night. The reason for that is the unpredictable and terrible nature of road traffic in the city.
Expressing their opinions on the development while discussing on the platform of the Concerned Parents and Educators, CPE Network, teachers, parents and guardians, related their experiences and came to the conclusion that it is better for pupils and students to attend schools that are close by if they would not be living in boarding houses in those schools.
The respondents opined that the stress of waking up very early and moving up and down in congested traffic and choking situation is not the best for our children. For Lolade Faladey, she had to release her children fo her mother to take care of at a point when the stress was too much, she added: “I experienced this before because I had to resume work by 7am.
The school bus would pick up my children by 5:30am. I cried every morning in those days, wondering what kind of life that was until my mom stepped in. It was a tough decision to release them but I had no choice. Lagos is a wonderful city.”
Grace Ita said: “I had said it before I started having kids that I won’t stress myself because of school! My children attend a school on our street, I wake up at 6am to prepare their breakfast and lunch, then wake them up at 7am. They get to school at 10 mins to 8. Lagos wahala too much abeg! The kids will be so stressed out and when they get home, they’ll still do their homework.”
Linda Amadi: “They have to face their life now, it is either you drop them in the morning and school bus brings them back in the evening. It is a training to the children.” Tunji Afolayanka: “This usually happens in Lagos and that is why those wards are not really sound academically.”
Atinuke Leye Isola: “It is not wise at all. Keep the children in a school not far from home.”
Christianah Bajela-Oladeji: “We are putting too much pressure and unnecessary strain on these children. In sane societies, it is insane to do such. However, when we consider traffic congestion and the standard of schools in some of our locations…..may God help our children.”
Bunmi Ottong: “I am concerned about the future of this generation.Wouldn’t they age before their time?”