SEnine
YOUNG ELTHAM
by John Webb
It was a case of two
the borough to receive a visit from who have travelled in on car seats.
‘GETcycling’, a team of bicycling They’ve also had time to form social
wheels good, four wheels
experts. bonds with fellow students and
bad at Wyborne Primary
are less inclined to want to spend
“We have been working all year the first minutes of the school day
School, New Eltham.
on the travel plan, trying to get gossiping with their friends.
children out of their parents’ cars”,
The
school is aiming to put
said Sue Roy, Wyborne project So, every Wednesday of the year,
some spokes in the
manager at the school. a ‘walking bus’ of children and
wheels of car driving parents using
teachers leaves the Co-op and
the old fashioned tactic of ‘pester
“These days, not all children have makes the 300 yard journey to
power’.
bikes and we’ve had to show some school on foot. Children attending
how to pedal”, she said. regularly earn merit badges and
It is concerned about the
a trophy is won by the most
congestion and tailbacks of the
“We thought if we made the day enthusiastic class.
daily school run in which parents
fun, then there would be some
provide their children with a door
pester power from the children”. “It helps to reduce congestion at
to door chauffeured transport
the school itself; some children
service.
Cycles of all shapes and sizes are dropped off at their ‘bus stop’
were provide by the GETcycling instead of at the school gates”, she
So Wyborne have been working
team and through the day, every said.
on a school travel plan which will
Wyborne pupil was given a couple
reclaim the streets for commuting
of circuits around the playground Anything up to 40 children snake
children.
on a bike of their choice. their way down the Footscray Road
to the playground at Ivor Grove.
After three months working with
Teachers at Wyborne find that
parents and children on the plan,
children who have had exercise on Children are also encouraged to take
they decided to make the message
their way to school are much more their cycling proficiency test so that
fun and were one of five schools in
alert and ready to learn than those they can use their bikes in safety.
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