Location Transport

how old should a child be allowed to use public transportation to school?

meaning travel by themselves to school, obviously i know high school age is appropriate, but is 11/12 old enough? my parents are considering private school for my brother and they have more available spots for the 7th grade than high school. however, it is kind of out of the way for both of my parents, but public transportation is close to us and a bus stops near the school.

Public Comments

1. 6
2. Depends on the child, and the area they live. In our town, I;m okay with middle school/highschoolers riding public transportation, but not younger. How mature is the child? Can they take care of themselves and speak up for themselves? My gut feeling is, it's a bit young.
3. seventh grade- 12 is a good age- thats when my school suggests you should use public transportation
4. I think 12 would be fine, depending on how long the trip is, and if he'd be travelling with other students. I'd also take into consideration how long/complex of a trip it is. Anymore than one transfer and I would say no. I'd also consider sending him with an emergency-use only cell (unless he already has a phone) just in case, especially if the school is far away. Also take the trip with him a few times, to see if you (or his parents) are comfortable with taking the trip yourselves.
5. It really depends on the kid. If he seems mature, responsible, and well behaved and if your home and the school are in decent neighborhoods, then yes. I think 11 1/2 would be old enough. 12-14 is the age that pops into my head first. But 11 1/2 is close enough. He should be big enough that someone can't easily pick him up and take off un-noticed. And he should be smart enough to know where he is supposed to go and how to tell someone "no" if they try to talk him into going the wrong way.
6. The answer remains subjective, how far is the travel is the child responsible, are there other children on the mode of transport attending the school, how long is the travel etc etc etc. As the parent you need to make and asses the the situation.......
7. As one of the other responders says- it depends. It depends on the kid and the location. Can the child pay attention when traveling alone and not miss his stop? Can he/she be reliable about getting to the bus/train stop on time in all weather? Do they feel capable of doing it themselves? How would they feel if a street person or panhandler came up to them? How would they handle it? Do they have to travel through any dangerous neighborhoods or gang areas? How many other people are out and about during that same time? Are there people they can ask for help (directions etc) if they need to? One thing to do is to practice- ride with the kid. Talk about possible scenarios and how to handle them. That can give you a good idea if they are ready for this or not because it will be a different age for every child.
8. I think 12 isn't a bad age, of course depending on if he's trustworthy, he knows when to get off his bus, he won't fall asleep on the bus and miss his stop.
9. my daughter is 14 i still don't put her on the school bus as i watched one day while waiting for my daughter the driver take out a traffic light with the front end of the bus and still not slow down i was gobsmacked there is also an increased risk of bullying which goes on with the children on the bus but most of all during the winter months it gos dark quite early on and children are less likely to be seen by traffic i would prefer to pick my child up at least then i know im responsible for her safety
10. It really depends on the area and the kid. My son is 14, very mature, but still 14 and they don't tend to pay that good attention to their surroundings. My son is starting high school in Sept. While where we live is safe to get on the bus (except for some drivers...) and walk around, and his school is in an extremely safe neighborhood (where he'll be allowed to walk to fast food etc after school), there is a small area the bus goes through that is not safe. And he'd have to change buses, and of course, by far the best schedule would have him waiting at a bus stop at possibly the worst corner in our city. So as I'm thinking about this whole scenario, I read in my local paper about a guy who flashed the passengers on the bus my son would be taking... So I check the sex offenders registry and lots live right near the bus stop. Ugh. (None near the school or our home, no apts/motels close by.) If my son could take one bus all the way, even through the bad neighborhood, I would feel better about it, not sure I'd let him do it, I'd have to investigate it more. I will teach him this summer how to take the bus there and home, just in case of an emergency. You don't say how old you are, but perhaps you, or your parents, can take the bus route and see what you think. Also, see if there are other kids who will be on the bus with him. There will be car pools to/from the private school. Tell your parents to start calling around as soon as they know that your bro will be attending. Some schools have lists, at other schools you have to figure it out on your own, but lots of parents will be in the same position. Your parents can ask for a family directory to look for car pool partners. Usually directories aren't distributed until Sept, so they'll want to ask for last years as soon as he's accepted. At least then they will have to drive out of the way less. I've got 3 months to get a carpool set up.... If the private school has a rigorous curriculum, it would be to your bro's advantage to start in 7th grade, he will be more prepared for the high school work. Good luck!