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Writer's pictureHarshal
May 13 min read

How Did The Commute Logistics Affect Your School Choice?

Updated: May 13

19 Parents Considered These Themes About Their Children’s School Commute

Welcome to our series exploring the Irish education system through our personal journey to find the right school for our son. Based on our conversations with 24 families, each post dives into a different aspect of choosing a primary or secondary school.

School kids commuting to school.
School kids commuting to school.

Q: How do you manage the daily commute to school and work? How did the commute logistics affect your school choice?

19/24 Parents considered these themes about their children’s commute:

Proximity and Walking Distance: 12/19 parents highlighted the importance of schools being within walking distance from home. This was a significant factor in school choice because it made the daily routine simpler and often more enjoyable.

  • "Both schools are within walking distance, a critical factor for us to avoid daily driving."

  • "The school is a 15-minute walk from our home, which makes dropping off kid aged 7 very convenient."

  • "They walk or drive, depending on the weather. The close proximity to their home made it easier..."

Carpooling and Public Transport: 6/19 parents focused on using carpool arrangements or public transportation. This approach was used to manage time effectively, handle traffic issues, and integrate the school run with parents’ commutes to work.

  • "Drops the child off and then drives to work. In the afternoon, the wife picks up, just one LUAS stop away."

  • "They commute by car to drop kids at creche and school in Swords, then park and take public transport to the city."

  • “We carpool with another friend who goes to ET Portmarnock.”

  • “Parent working at grand canal docks drops the kids off, then walks to Drumcondra train station. The 25-minute walk to the school is quality time, followed by a 15-20 minute walk to the station. Parent does this at least 4 times a week.”

  • “The schools are 5 and 10 minutes away by car. Mom drops Dad at the Dart station and then the kids at their schools.”

After-School Care and Scheduling: 6/19 parents made commute and school decisions based on after-school programs and care facilities. These facilities helped accommodate parents’ work schedules.

  • "Found after-school care at the school, which helped with pickup and drop-off times."

  • "They use Airfield for after-school care, which is great because it offers collection from school."

Benefit from Remote Work: 4/19 parents mentioned remote work benefits. They have the time flexibility to manage school drop-offs and pickups. This influenced their choice of school by enabling them to consider locations they might not have otherwise due to commuting constraints.

  • "WFH helps. after-care does not do pickup."

  • "She works from home, which makes this arrangement feasible."

Grandparents Support: 3/19 parents got support from their extended family, like grandparents. Grandparents played a role in managing school commutes, especially if the school was near the grandparents’ home.

  • "Mr. 9 year old’s school in Terenure is close to the grandparents' house. The grandparents help pick up the kid if the parent is late from work."

  • "If necessary, the kid may stay with grandparents in the same area."

The 12 Articles in this series



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