This Friday 17 May is National Walk Safely to School Day, here in Australia. Now in it’s 20th year, this annual event encourages all primary school children to walk safely to school. Walking is one form of active travel to school.
Another program that our local council promotes is the Active School Travel program. This program is in it’s 15th year and provides resources and incentives for families and teachers to actively travel to school. As part of the program, classroom teachers record how each student travelled to school. The program encourages walking, riding, scootering, carpooling and the use of public transport.
Both of these initiatives are about promoting road safety along with sustainable and healthy travel options.
Why active travel to school is beneficial?
- Physical benefits – Children need some physical activity everyday. By walking, riding or scootering to school some of this physical activity can happen.
- Social benefits – If children travel to school with parents or other children they are gaining the social benefits of interacting with others.
- Academic benefits – Being active also benefits the brain and helps children to concentrate better at school.
- Environmental benefits – all of the options are better on the environment as they use less petrol.
How did I get to school as a child?
I went to a number of different schools in the different places we lived. I know that I mostly walked to the last primary school that I attended.
at the first primary school I attended, I have vague memories of crossing at the school crossing with my Mum . However I not sure if it was to get to a car or we then walked home. Two of the high schools that I attended I caught a bus too and the other one I usually rode my bike too. Therefore generally I was using active modes of transport.
How did my kids get to school?
When my kids first started school we lived 8 houses from the primary school, so naturally we walked to school. As they got older they walked themselves to school. When we moved there was a major road to cross. I would often help them cross that road so they still walked, rode or scootered to school some days. In high school they caught a bus or were driven if they had activities before or after school. During primary school the kids benefited from active transport modes more than in high school.
Another Active Travel Option
Some places have what is called a walking school bus. I know that my sister-in-law used to help with one in another state. A walking school bus is where a group of kids with several parent volunteers walk to school as a group, along a set route. The parent helpers and even the children often wear high visibility vests.
If you have school children how do they get to school? Or how did you or your children commute to school? Could you add more active travel to school, particularly on National Walk to School Day?