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They do. But my eldest goes to the third closest school to us as we didn't get into the closest one (good school, catchment area has been shrinking rapidly as more people move closer to the school to guarantee a place), and the second closest one would have meant changing child minder for the younger daughter.
If you miss out on the schools of your choice (of 6) you can end up anywhere. A couple of classmates of my daughter have to travel over 3 miles to school each day. Which is difficult to do either on a bike or by public transport if you, as a working parent, have to be somewhere else shortly afterwards.
Of course if cycling was actively encouraged, with proper infrastructure, then many, many more children and their parents would cycle.
andyp
Don't most schools have a defined catchment area (no idea, not a parent)?
Surely in towns/cities, that would then be relatively small and hence the distances would be easily manageable by their own steam.
Granted, it must seem more convenient to just sling everything into the boot of a car but it would could easily slightly helped by those that can, walking or cycling.