The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

More than one in seven Bahamians have had to quit or change jobs to cope with the demands of school drop-offs and pick-ups, an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report has revealed, with more than one-third blaming this for inhibiting career and income-earning opportunities.

The multilateral lender, unveiling the results of a study on how the daily ‘school run’ impacts parents and adult “caregivers”, said the findings showed lower income Bahamian households and families “face greater difficulty absorbing the demands” from the early morning and mid-afternoon commutes - not least because they are more likely to have just one or no vehicles.

The IDB study, which focused on four New Providence schools and surveyed 477 parents, as well as interviewing teachers, principals, security guards and bus drivers, found that more than 37 percent of those polled reported being late for work at least once in the prior month due to the stresses and traffic congestion associated with the school run.

And some 35 percent of survey respondents had asked their employers for “flexibility”, such as adjusted work hours or being able to work from home, just so that they can cope with transporting school age children. The IDB study said the pressures on productivity are so great in Nassau that companies have adjusted shift times to facilitate staff school runs, one employer revealing they have introduced a 12pm to 8pm shift specifically for this purpose.

The report, produced by five members of the IDB’s transportation division, gives an insight into the tangible negative impacts created by pressures surrounding the twice-daily school commute with many parents struggling to balance caring for children with their career. The survey found almost 36 percent of parents agreeing that school transportation duties “leave them physically exhausted”.

And nearly 7 percent of survey respondents confirmed they have had to “quite a job entirely” to ensure they can drop-off or pick up their children, with more than 8 percent stating they had to change employment for the same reason. This means 15 percent, or more than one in seven Bahamians, have have seen their income and job prospects negatively hit by ‘school run’ challenges.

“The responsibilities associated with ensuring children's safe and timely transport to school significantly shape caregivers' engagement with the labour market in New Providence,” the IDB study affirmed.

“For some caregivers, the demands of school transportation require considerable changes to their employment situation. Survey results highlight this reality: 6.9 percent of respondents reported having had to quit a job entirely to manage these duties, while a similar proportion, 8.1 percent, had to change jobs for the same reason.

“Placed in the context of national unemployment figures for The Bahamas - around 8.5 percent for women and 9.1 percent for men at the time of reference - these percentages suggest school transport is a notable factor contributing to labour market disruption for a considerable segment of the caregiving population.”

The IDB report added that “reducing work hours is a common coping mechanism” with a “direct conflict between work demands and care duties”. It said: “As one mother managing primary school commutes explained, the lack of alternatives forced a difficult choice: ‘I’ve had to reduce my work hours because there’s no one else to drop-off or pick-up my children.’

“The ripple effects extend beyond the individual household, as noted by a primary school teacher who observed: ‘Parents taking time off work to pick-up their children often don't return to work, which impacts their income and the economy’.

“Beyond altering current employment, school transport duties frequently constrain caregivers' ability to take on additional work responsibilities, limiting potential income growth and career advancement. This constraint was reported by over a third (35.2 percent) of survey respondents.”

Income inequalities were also cited for worsening these challenges, as families and households with two or more vehicles were much better placed to deal with these challenges. “Access to private transportation resources appears to mitigate this constraint significantly,” the IDB study said.

“Caregivers in households with two or more vehicles were considerably less likely to feel their ability to take on extra work was affected, compared to those in households with one or no cars (59.2 percent unaffected versus 40.8 percent).

“Socioeconomic status, proxied by household density, also plays a statistically significant role; those feeling constrained lived in denser households on average (1.54 persons per room) compared to those unaffected (1.36), suggesting lower-income caregivers face greater difficulty absorbing the demands of school transport alongside potential work expansion.”

School commute challenges also frequently cause parents to be late for work, with 8 percent of survey respondents failing to report on time at least eight times in the prior month. “Frequent tardiness emerged as a prevalent issue. Over a third (37.4 percent) of the quantitative sample reported being late for work at least once in the preceding month due to transporting children,” the IDB study said.

“For a notable subset (7.9 percent) this was a chronic problem, occurring eight or more times in the month. The tangible impact of this persistent difficulty was highlighted by the experience of a manager at a children’s emergency hostel: ‘I’ve had staff who struggled with tardiness because of school responsibilities, and one even had to leave her job’.

“Requesting flexible working arrangements is another major adaptation strategy, driven by the need to align work schedules with school timings. Caregivers frequently mentioned making personal sacrifices: ‘I changed my shift to make sure I can drop-off and pick-up my kids’, and ‘I’ve had to adjust my hours and skip lunch breaks to pick-up my kids’,” the report added.

“The survey confirmed the widespread nature of this adaptation, with 35.4 percent of respondents having requested flexibility - adjusted hours, remote work - specifically due to school transport duties. This necessity disproportionately affects women, with 38 percent requesting flexibility compared to 23.9 percent of men, reinforcing the gendered nature of reconciling care, transport and employment.

“The pressure is significant enough that employers sometimes implement structural changes, as described by one manager: ‘I had to introduce a 12-to-8 shift to accommodate staff who needed flexibility for school runs’. Bringing children to the workplace represents a further coping mechanism, reported by 37.5 percent of caregivers surveyed.”

The study’s authors, Lynn Scholl, Orlando Sabogal-Cardona, Daniel Oviedo, Camila Casas-Cortes and Llando Chea, added that transportation challenges are also a critical factor behind why Bahamian children miss school - with the problem especially acute for those coming from families with zero or one vehicle.

“The challenges caregivers face with school transport directly impact children's consistent access to education. Transport-related issues – including affordability of bus fares, vehicle breakdowns or impassable routes due to flooding – were identified during qualitative work as key reasons for children missing school,” the IDB report said.

“This was quantified in the survey, with 17 percent of caregivers reporting their child had missed school days since the term began due to such transport problems. This absenteeism disproportionately affects children attending public schools (62.3 percent of those who missed school had at least one child in public school).

“Access to private vehicles is a strong mediating factor: 22.1 percent of children in households with zero to one car missed school, compared to 12.6 percent in households with two-plus cars. The disparity is starker based on direct vehicle access: 45.8 percent of caregivers without personal vehicle access reported their child missed school, versus 15.3 percent for those with access,” the study added.

“Lower socioeconomic status - higher household density - was also significantly associated with children missing school. While this study centres on caregiver impacts, these findings illustrate a critical indirect consequence: Mobility constraints on caregivers translate into reduced educational opportunities for children, potentially impacting their future prospects and perpetuating cycles of disadvantage.”

The IDB study also gave an insight into the toll that the ‘school run’ stress is inflicting on the physical and mental health of Bahamians. “Beyond constraints on time and employment, the daily management of school transportation in Nassau demonstrably affects caregiver subjective well-being,” it warned.

“Caregivers consistently described the strain of navigating traffic, co-ordinating incompatible schedules and balancing the school run with work and household duties. This pressure was particularly acute for mothers, especially single mothers, who often felt stretched thin managing multiple roles. As one mother at a primary school said: ‘I’m a single mom with three kids, and it’s overwhelming trying to get everyone to school on time’.

“The feeling of ‘juggling work, traffic and school runs’ was frequently described as simply ‘overwhelming’, a sentiment echoed even by those attempting proactive schedule management, like another mother who worked nights: ‘I work nights so I can be available during the day for my kids [...] The stress of juggling work, traffic and school runs is overwhelming.’

“A third participant from a primary school focus group captured the resulting time scarcity and constant pressure: ‘I’m always rushing, juggling between work, school runs and household responsibilities.’ The daily routine itself requires personal sacrifice and contributes to this stress,” the report added.

“The same mother who felt overwhelmed also detailed the needed early start: ‘I’m up at 5am and out of the house by 7am to ensure my child gets to school on time. Instead of eating, I’m stuck in traffic’.”

The IDB study said these pressures are causing many parents to become physically exhausted. “Survey data indicates over a third (34.9 percent) of caregivers agree or strongly agree that school transport duties leave them physically exhausted,” it disclosed.

“This fatigue reveals inequalities: Parents with children in public schools reported higher average exhaustion (3.0 on a five-point scale) than those in private schools (2.7). Women reported higher average exhaustion (2.9) than men (2.5). Furthermore, the burden appears cumulative, as individuals with other care responsibilities felt significantly more exhausted from school transport (average 3.4) than those without (2.8).”

The four schools that were surveyed in the report were Doris Johnson and CV Bethel high schools, and Uriah McPhee and Sybil Strachan primary schools.