|
News Features
|
|
||||||||
By SARAH MACDONALD Monday, 06 November 2006
HITCHING a ride on the walking school bus is yielding a long list of benefits for Shelly Park School pupils and their parents.
“We’ve got two walking school bus routes that operate at Shelly Park School, one around Meadowlands and another in the Pah Rd area,” says walking school bus coordinator Beth Jacobsen. “We operate on parent volunteers and if we have enough on board, we can run almost everyday morning and afternoon. We have nine to 11 kids on each route.” The school founded the programme in response to crippling traffic jams as parents shuttle their children in cars. “There are so many positives to it,” says Mrs Jacobsen. “It reduces congestion around the school gates, it raises road safety awareness and health issues and sense of community.” Most parent volunteers take three of four trips to the school each week, picking up and dropping off students along the way at walking school bus stops. “Once we get a certain number of children on the bus we have to have more adults to look after them. That’s a bit of a limiting factor at times,” says Mrs Jacobsen. “People usually have to be at work by 9am, so not everyone can do it.” Mrs Jacobsen says the social benefits of the initiative are undeniable. “It’s role modelling for the children. They learn proper behaviour and social interaction,” she says. “It’s nice bonding for them. They get to talk to adults so they get used to holding a conversation.” Parents also enjoy savings on petrol. “Figures on emissions and the amount of petrol it takes to start your car to take small trips are staggering,” says Mrs Jacobsen. “Then there’s the obesity problem we’re starting to find in New Zealand. It’s good to encourage children to walk.” Mrs Jacobsen says more schools and parents should support walking school buses. “Time is always a factor for parents. No one has time to do anything anymore, but it just takes a little bit of effort and reorganisation,” she says. | |||||||||
|
© Times Newspapers 2008
Tel 09 271 8000 | 50 Stonedon Dr, East Tamaki, Auckland | PO Box 259 243, Greenmount Manukau 2141, New Zealand. |
|||||||||
