Why didn't we walk?

As part of a unit on healthy living, I shared an adapted version of this CBC article with my ESL students. The article cites recent surveys showing that few Canadian children, perhaps only 25-35%, use active modes of transportation to get to and from school. On top of this, only 4% of 12-17 year-old youth get the recommended one hour of exercise per day.

My sons have always ridden their bikes -- to school and to work and to their friends' homes. But I know that many of their friends are driven almost everywhere. As the article points out, parents are used to driving places, and they don't even think about walking or riding bikes instead.

The responses of my students were interesting: 

• Some had the same reaction I had: this state of affairs is disgraceful and parents should work to change it.
• A few thought schools should take more responsibility to ensure that children get enough exercise. One single guy gave a rather impassioned speech about how parents are busy working and come home tired and should not have to worry about making sure their children get enough exercise. 
• A young mother from Korea said that when she first moved to Edmonton she was shocked to see that parents drive their kids to school, but once she started doing it, she liked it, as it gave her some daily quality time with her children. She also said that she thinks Canadian schoolchildren get plenty of exercise, thanks to P.E. classes and recess. She was so earnest and sincere that there was no way I was going to rain on her parade!
• A woman from China expressed disgust at the line of cars waiting to pick up and drop off schoolchildren -- and she was particularly disturbed by the number of people who keep their cars running for 10 to 20 minutes as they wait in line. 

I've been encouraged, as I commute by bicycle to work, to see quite a few children walking or riding bikes to school. I can only hope that their numbers will increase!