Subscribe to RSSBikes In The School Plan To Spread Nationwide
A nice idea to encourage young kids to cycle (I wasn’t sure they needed encouraging but however..)
A ‘Bikes in the School’ plan, trialled in Hastings, is to spread nationwide.
The plan tries to ensure all primary school children have an opportunity to experience the ‘joy of biking’ and all the wonderful benefits that flow on from cycling in a safe environment.
Today John Key officially launched the programme that aims to give every primary school child regular access to a bike and bike track within the school grounds. The trial has been running this month February in St Mary’s School, Hastings, and founder Paul McArdle hopes to secure funding to be able to offer it to any New Zealand primary school that wants it.
The school’s principal says since Bikes in the School provided St Mary’s school with their 62 new bikes, 225 helmets, a dedicated staff resource, a 550m cycle track, two pump tracks, a skills track and a bike shed, the school has seen a huge increase in children’s interest in biking. “Some of our children had never ridden a bike before. We’ve incorporated the biking into our physical education programme and the kids just can’t wait to get out there. The teachers are also enjoying biking with the children.”
It’s worrying that kids are growing up these days without cycling so anything that can rectify that deserves much encouragement.
1 Comments
“A nice idea to encourage young kids to cycle (I wasn’t sure they needed encouraging but however..)”
The PARENTS need the encouragement. I can certainly see that they are worried about their kids, but by making them not cycle for their safety (and not walk to school for their safety and…) they are really just causing a cycle in which we end up with today’s ridiculous traffic jams at the school gate when mum drops off the kids.
So: Great stuff. Where’s the funding gonna come from though? Sounds pricey.