Walking to Independance

Sixty six per cent of young people (aged between 11 and 15) in the East Midlands see the journey to school as a chance for more freedom from their parents, according to the latest survey for the government's "Travelling to School" initiative. The poll also found that the majority of young people feel that getting to and from school without their parents is an important step in the journey towards adulthood.

The survey quizzed a number of secondary school pupils on their feelings about how they travel to school. It revealed that only half of young people that are driven to school by their parents think they're getting enough say in how they spend their freetime, as opposed to 60 percent of those who get to travel with their friends

It's not just about getting more contro over their spare time: 75 per cent of young people in the East Midlands feel they would have more time to catch up with their friends if they travelled to school with them. In fact, nearly a third of all those asked saw the time immediately before and after school as the best time to socialise with their friends and have a good gossip.

Professor J Thomas, Teen PSychologist at Strathclyde University said: "Teenagers are always looking for ways to spread their wings. As well as being an important chance for teenagers to develop their social skills, the journey to and from school also offers them those first vital steps towards being a responsible adult. Allowing them to take control of their own daily routine is a great way for parents to show they trust their teenagers and acknowledge that they are growing up. For the teenagers themselves, it's a great way to develop important aspects of their character, such as self-sufficiency and confidence, which will stand then in good stead when they go off to college or university or enter the world of work".

It's no surprise that the survey found that young people in the East Midlands love to socialise - a massive 86 per cent agreed that the best use of the school journey was to meet new or current friends. But it's not all about gossip and girl talk; some of the girls asked identified it as a time to talk to their friends about more serious issues, such as personal problems and "family stuff", as well as their plans and ambitions for the future.

The survey results suggest that gender stereotypesare still alive and well, as the following findings indicate:

- 40 per cent of girls see the school journey as an excellent time to make plans for the weekend - compared to 32 per cent of boys.
- 47 per cent of girls would go round to a friend's house if they had an extra hour to themselves each day, but only 26 per cent of boys would do the same.
- Playing sport came out on top for boys, with 36 per cent saying that's what they would do with the extra hour - compared to only 10 per cent of girls.