British kids have more freedom to walk to school than Aussies

AUSTRALIAN parents of 10-12-year-olds are more hesitant to let their children walk home from school alone than British parents.

Jo Spencer

AUSTRALIAN parents of 10- to 12-year-olds are more hesitant to let their children walk home from school alone than British mums and dads.

Research to be released today by Deakin University and Vic-Health has found more than half of Australian primary school kids - 51 per cent - are transported to school by car, compared with less than a third - 32 per cent - of primary school children in England, despite school generally being within walking distance.

The research, led by Alison Carver, compared 784 primary school children and 455 secondary school children in rural and metro areas of Britain and Victoria. It coincides with VicHealth's Walk to School month.

The study found 78 per cent of 11-year-old British kids were allowed to walk home from school alone, compared with 43 per cent of Australian children. Most British children of that age (85 per cent) were allowed to cross the road alone, compared with 64 per cent of Australian kids.

Joanne Spencer has two children at North Melbourne Primary School in Melbourne's inner-north and says she isn't comfortable allowing them to walk home.

"There's no way in hell I'd let them," Ms Spencer said.

Her two children - Ruby, 9, and Archie, 7 - go to school about 1km from home.

"Maybe from 14, high school or so, but even then there are still plenty of things to be worried about," Ms Spencer said.

Dr Carver said children's independence often increased when they reached secondary school.

"Most Australian 11- and 12-year-olds are still at primary school and face greater parental restrictions than those in England, who start school at an earlier age and are already attending secondary school," Dr Carver said.

VicHealth chief executive Jerril Rechter said the research confirmed that children's walking was declining, at a time when childhood obesity had reached record levels: "VicHealth is interested in the reasons why so many kids are still getting dropped off at school when the walk is usually manageable and obviously beneficial for health and development."