6th form - mandatory attendance vs driving lessons

Emmia

Why does your daughter need to learn to drive now? Why the rush?  Can she afford to pay for lessons and run a car when she passes? Or will you be funding this?

I passed my test after uni at 24, paying for all my lessons and once I'd passed, my car and all the costs. 

theoretica

She can't be the only person with this issue - what have her classmates done?  Do they have better timetables?  Learnt with parents? Not learnt yet?  Or what?

silvercar

It’s ridiculous that driving instructors aren’t working more hours outside school time. The vast majority of their customers must be 6th formers. Certainly a gap in the market in your area. 

Giving that her education won’t suffer, I would take the 8-10am slot and miss registration. She can register when she arrives and can still attend all her lessons. I can’t see universities or employers relying on some attendance record from a school. 

For those who say you can learn to drive at any time, prices will only go up and it’s easier to get it out of the way now. Could even help secure a part time job when at 6th form or uni as the number able to get to jobs where being a driver is essential (either due to the location of the work or driving jobs) will be lower so reducing competition.

Emmia

silvercar said:

It’s ridiculous that driving instructors aren’t working more hours outside school time. The vast majority of their customers must be 6th formers. Certainly a gap in the market in your area. 

Giving that her education won’t suffer, I would take the 8-10am slot and miss registration. She can register when she arrives and can still attend all her lessons. I can’t see universities or employers relying on some attendance record from a school. 

For those who say you can learn to drive at any time, prices will only go up and it’s easier to get it out of the way now. Could even help secure a part time job when at 6th form or uni as the number able to get to jobs where being a driver is essential (either due to the location of the work or driving jobs) will be lower so reducing competition.

You could say the same thing about A' levels or university... personally I'd prioritise education over driving...

And on employment, there are plenty of jobs that don't require a licence.

BikingBud

Wonka_2 said:

MalMonroe said:

Your daughter is 17. Plenty of time for her to learn to drive. (I say this as someone who passed my driving test at 33!)

For me, it's about priorities. Priority for me - education.

Thanks but as usual your post misses the point 

No education will be missed - purely the administration of registration - and given all that she's gone through with Covid over the past couple of years I absolutely support her right to live for 'now' - education can also come in the future 

I think it hits the nail on the head.

Victorian dad head on - you should be reinforcing the school policy rather than supporting an attitude of entitlement that helps only to undermine society where people feel that rules do not apply to them.

Perhaps you should reiterate that driving is a privilege not a right. As well as reminder to her that many people have had to delay or forego extremely important life events, many lost relatives without seeing them, during covid. So getting het up about driving lessons does appear to be drama queen issue.

What are school holidays for?

There are so many other things to worry about than driving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQv23z8QcqA

ETA - Our children learnt to drive when they had enough money from their part time jobs to pay for it. And bought cars when they could afford to including insurance etc.

Seems they have a good grasp of personal values including covering the costs of their own desires and liabilities.

Wonka_2

Emmia said:

Can she afford to pay for lessons and run a car when she passes? 

I passed my test after uni at 24, paying for all my lessons and once I'd passed, my car and all the costs. 

Yes and yes - she's worked/saved whilst maintaining her grades and wants to drive.

I'm merely trying to ensure she does it with appropriate tuition

BikingBud

silvercar said:

It’s ridiculous that driving instructors aren’t working more hours outside school time. The vast majority of their customers must be 6th formers. Certainly a gap in the market in your area. 

Giving that her education won’t suffer, I would take the 8-10am slot and miss registration. She can register when she arrives and can still attend all her lessons. I can’t see universities or employers relying on some attendance record from a school. 

For those who say you can learn to drive at any time, prices will only go up and it’s easier to get it out of the way now. Could even help secure a part time job when at 6th form or uni as the number able to get to jobs where being a driver is essential (either due to the location of the work or driving jobs) will be lower so reducing competition.

Perhaps if you were willing to pay more then they may meet your demands, however they also have lives and other interests. Perhaps their kids are at school during the day so offer the times they do, nevertheless the money needs to make it worthwhile.

For personal transport and ability to get to jobs, get a pushbike, 2 benefits:

• Cheap transport
• A much better understanding oh the hazards and problems that arise on the roads and likely to turn out a much better driver in the medium to long term.

Wonka_2

theoretica said:

She can't be the only person with this issue - what have her classmates done?  Do they have better timetables?  Learnt with parents? Not learnt yet?  Or what?

She's one of eldest in year and has already waited 5mths since birthday - others (including peers in year above) are in a similar situation - a couple have tried and failed tests via family/friends lessons and others have a different timetable.

She's got full afternoons but clear mornings (except bloody registration)

400ixl

Does seem very inflexible for a sixth form. Do most have such strict rules for registration? Our DD's certainly didn't, they had lessons they had to be in, then there were study periods where they liked them to do on premise, other than that they were free to study from home.

Your alternative of an intensive course is worth considering. We did this for ours, took them out to do the basics of car control and positioning on the road etc and then onto an intensive course for a week on their next school holiday.

sheramber

How has she got clear mornings if she has lessons at 10am?