Madam, - I do not feel that the State should take full responsibility for the increase in obesity. The responsibility for providing a balanced diet lies with the parents. Parents should also encourage their children to play outdoors and put a limit on the time spent playing the various computer games.
Walking or cycling to school is not an option for many students because:
a) Their schoolbags are too heavy and this is bad for their backs;
b) Heavy bags would make them very unsteady on their bikes;
c) On days that students have PE or sport they also have to bring their gear bag into school and this may include a hurley or a hockey stick;
d) Home Economic students often have to bring ingredients and pyrex dishes to school for cookery practicals.
e) Other practical subjects also require that materials of various types have to be brought to school by the students. I have had to bring in cement, sand and gravel for my son.
Besides these problems there are too few cycle lanes on our roads. In rural areas there are neither footpaths nor cycle lanes. In our towns cyclists and buses are competing for the same roadspace. Cycle lanes should be up beside the footpath and not part of the carriageway. At the very least they should be separated from the road by a kerb and go behind the bus stops not in front of them where the buses have to pull in. This would also prevent cyclists from being knocked down by larger vehicles trying to negotiate bends. - Yours etc,
UTE DUANE,
Navan,
Co Meath.