Spring Observer - News
LSC-North Harris offers parent-taught driver’s ed
By OBSERVER STAFF REPORTS
Ensuring all teens get a chance to receive driver’s education, Lone Star College-North Harris is helping parents do the teaching.
“Schools in our area have largely moved away from teaching driver education because of the costs and associated liabilities,” said Lorie Qualls, program manager. “The state has begun to allow parents to become more involved in this training and area school districts needed a place where students could have this training and fulfill the requirements for licensure. By offering this classroom training, our college can respond to the needs to teens and their parents in this community.”
In 1997, Texas implemented the Parent-Taught Driver Education Program.
“This law has been in effect for a couple of years now,” Qualls said, “and was meant to help people in outlying areas who didn’t have access to formalized driver training programs.”
Available to teens between ages 14 and 17, the program requires mastery of the Texas traffic laws, rules and procedures for operating and owning an automobile.
“Our class is designed for students of any age wishing to get a Texas driver’s permit, and will prepare students to sit for the Texas Driver Permit examination, administered through the Texas Department of Public Safety,” Qualls said.
Before the parent, stepparent, grandparent, step-grandparent, foster parent or legal guardian begins teaching, the instructor must have a valid Texas driver’s license for the preceding three years.
“The course we are offering meets the 32-hour classroom requirement by the state of Texas prior to a young person getting behind the wheel for the 14-hour parent-led training,” Qualls explained. “Once the classroom and behind-the-wheel training are completed, the teen will be eligible to take their test for Texas licensure.”
Qualls said once on- and off-the-road requirements are completed, the parent-instructor completes a form required by the Texas Department of Public Safety and presents proof the teen has attended the class offered by Lone Star College-North Harris, then the teen can take his/her licensure exam.
The class begins Jan. 26 and meets Monday through Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. through Feb. 23. All classes will be held on the Lone Star College-North Harris campus at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive. Tuition is $144, which includes everything needed to learn the requirements.
MORE INFO
281-765-7751
“Schools in our area have largely moved away from teaching driver education because of the costs and associated liabilities,” said Lorie Qualls, program manager. “The state has begun to allow parents to become more involved in this training and area school districts needed a place where students could have this training and fulfill the requirements for licensure. By offering this classroom training, our college can respond to the needs to teens and their parents in this community.”
In 1997, Texas implemented the Parent-Taught Driver Education Program.
“This law has been in effect for a couple of years now,” Qualls said, “and was meant to help people in outlying areas who didn’t have access to formalized driver training programs.”
Available to teens between ages 14 and 17, the program requires mastery of the Texas traffic laws, rules and procedures for operating and owning an automobile.
“Our class is designed for students of any age wishing to get a Texas driver’s permit, and will prepare students to sit for the Texas Driver Permit examination, administered through the Texas Department of Public Safety,” Qualls said.
Before the parent, stepparent, grandparent, step-grandparent, foster parent or legal guardian begins teaching, the instructor must have a valid Texas driver’s license for the preceding three years.
“The course we are offering meets the 32-hour classroom requirement by the state of Texas prior to a young person getting behind the wheel for the 14-hour parent-led training,” Qualls explained. “Once the classroom and behind-the-wheel training are completed, the teen will be eligible to take their test for Texas licensure.”
Qualls said once on- and off-the-road requirements are completed, the parent-instructor completes a form required by the Texas Department of Public Safety and presents proof the teen has attended the class offered by Lone Star College-North Harris, then the teen can take his/her licensure exam.
The class begins Jan. 26 and meets Monday through Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. through Feb. 23. All classes will be held on the Lone Star College-North Harris campus at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive. Tuition is $144, which includes everything needed to learn the requirements.
MORE INFO
281-765-7751
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