Location, Location, Location--Knowing Your Way Around
A while back, I wrote about the amazing directional skills of London cab drivers. To be eligible for that job, drivers have to know, without having to refer to any maps or devices such as GPS, the location of every single street in their very large and complicated city. The benefit for passengers is enormous--since they can feel confident in relying on a driver getting them smoothly and accurately to any and all destinations. There is another benefit as well. Development of this skill leads to measurable changes in brain activity
Now there is another study from England--but this one represents the "other side of the spectrum." It seems that a fifth of children now have no idea where they live - because they no longer walk to school.
A survey has found that being ferried around in the car by their parents has destroyed their local awareness and knowledge. In addition, three-quarters of primary school children in South-East England could not give their postcode, and a fifth did not know their home address. When asked what they could see during their journey to school, the majority could not identify landmarks, instead picking up on houses and trees.
By contrast, in London where driving is less common, schoolchildren were the most savvy about their local area. More than three-quarters (76 per cent) walked to school each day, 86 per cent knew their home address and 61 per cent could say their postcode.
This is one more example of the effects of living in the modern age. The conveniences of life are great. But they must be used with discretion. It's vital that parents monitor what is going on and ensure that the children get the full range of experiences needed to become effective members of the community.
To this end, Kia Motors, which commissioned the survey of 2,000 primary schoolchildren, said: "Just like a proper breakfast, walking to school is a great way for children to start the day. Not only are they more alert when they arrive at school, it is good exercise and improves children's awareness of their local area."
It would be nice if this suggestion were picked up on this side of the Atlantic as well.
