Park further from the school!

I can’t agree with D Boorman [Letters, October 19] that car parking for parents is somehow the school’s responsibility. My wife walked our children a mile or more to school every day until they were senior school age, both here and in Essex, before we moved to Canterbury. I would suggest that if there is congestion near school gates and parents need to drive their children to school they simply park further away and walk the last half-mile. Both they and the children will then get a modicum of exercise and my wife always found that it was splendid opportunity for the children to talk to her about their school day without domestic interruptions.

As to the harassment of illegally parked motorists, we and others asked for double yellow lines around road junctions near Archbishop’s School for reasons of pupil safety but parents still turn up early to collect children and park on the yellow lines, even when there is on-street parking available not more than 50 feet away in the same street! I have suggested to the head teacher that perhaps a visibly identified teacher could pop out once a week or so and politely point out the risk to children; I suspect that if I did it as a local resident I would get met with abuse or worse, but school staff should not. Sadly, my letter has received no reply despite some months elapsing. And so it goes on. Bob Britnell Orchard Close, Canterbury