Figure 1.--Laerskool Orion is a Christian primary school in Brackendowns, near Alberton (South Africa). They have a "school patrol", what Americans call a safety patrol. The older children are trained to stop the traffic and help their mates cross intersections. The boys are wearing the summer school uniforms. Notice that the patrol boys' bright orange baseball cap and bright yellow shirt cover pr vest. A reader writes, "I believe that the language of instruction at this school is Afrikaans. Laerskool Orion means Grade School Orion in Afrikaans. In Dutch it is Lagere School. The Afrikaners always simplify Dutch words." We believe thar English is also presented to the children, but we are unsure how intensively. A reader writes, "I see that the exact name in Afrikaans is "Skolierpatrollie" and in English "Scholar Patrol". The meaning of the word "Laerskool" is Primary School. The school is attended also by Black children, so I think that they are taught both in Afrikaans and English. Now segregation is forbidden in South Africa, but there are not many Afrikaans speaking Black people. Perhaps some children come from the country, or from other neighborhoods because the school has also a bus service."

Many South African children walk to school. This is especially true of black students. But black and colored (mixed race) children living near their schools also walk to work. Some parents may accompany the younger children, especialy if they do not have older siblings at school to help. This was and continues to be the case for primary schools as the children at least in cities usually live near to their schools. This makes walking to school easy. And the pleasant South African climate means that there is no really cold weather that complicates walking to school. Children in rural areas, however, oftem live considerable distances from their school. Thus many childten have long walks. In the Apartheid era there were few busses available for black students. We are not sure to what extent this problem is being addressed in modern South Africa. Primary schools tend to be relatively small and thus have very local catchment areas. This was less true for secondary schools and private schools where is is often too far to walk. Many primary schools organize school saftey patrols where the older children are trained to help the younger children cross the streets at intersections. Schools also have lolipop ladies at major interesections. The ladies often develop close relationships with the children who they see every day on the way to and from school. Some schools have traffic saftey problems because so many parents drive the children to school. This creates serious road safety hazards directly outside the school. Some of the schools experiencing this problem have adopted a 'Park and Walk’ scheme. This ammounts to establishing a point near the school where the children can be safely dropped off, such as a park. The children then walk the short distance to the school. The schools may adopt measures such as painting footsteps on the sidewalk for the younger children to follow. The school saftey patrol may also assist with this effort.

Extent

Many South African children walk to school. This is especially true of black students. But black and colored (mixed race) children living near their schools also walk to work. Some parents may accompany the younger children, especialy if they do not have older siblings at school to help. This was and continues to be the case for primary schools as the children at least in cities usually live near to their schools. This makes walking to school easy. And the pleasant South African climate means that there is no really cold weather that complicates walking to school.

Location

Walking to school is of course easiest in cities anf\d towns where the children live near to the school. Children in rural areas, however, oftem live considerable distances from their school. Thus many childten have long walks. In the Apartheid era there were few busses available for black students. We are not sure to what extent this problem is being addressed in modern South Africa.

Levels

Primary schools tend to be relatively small and thus have very local catchment areas. This was less true for secondary schools and private schools where is is often too far to walk.

Scholar Patrols

Many primary schools organize school safety patrols. South Africans call them scholar patrols. This is a common approach in schools all around the world faced with traffic safety issues. The Safety Patrol Program was started by the American Automobile Association (AAA) (1920). Scholar Patrol is an important part of a school's road safety precautions. The program has several benefits. The patrols hrlp regulate traffic and alert drovers to school zomes and the children walking to school and crossing the streets. Threy also help to make the children more aware of road safety on the way to school. Boys, when they reached the sixth grade, would be screened for the proper character traits and then trained in safety and put to use. The more responsible older primary children in the 6th grade are chosen and trained to help the younger children cross the streets at intersections near the school. Originally the safety patrols were all boys in America, but in recent years girls have also become safety patrols as well. In South Africa they are stuill mostlky boys. The patrols are given special items to identify them. These items have varied over time. The most common was the shoulder straps like the ones used by American safety patrols. We note one schooll patrol which wore berets. We are not sure how common that was. Some were colored rather than all white. In recent years, brightly colored caps and safety vests have been widely adopted.

Lollipop Ladies

Schools also have lolipop ladies at major interesections. term based on the large round safety signs the ladies carry. The ladies often develop close relationships with the children who they see every day on the way to and from school.

Park and Walk

Some schools have traffic saftey problems because so many parents drive the children to school. This creates serious road safety hazards directly outside the school. Some of the schools experiencing this problem have adopted a 'Park and Walk’ scheme. This ammounts to establishing a point near the school where the children can be safely dropped off, such as a park. The children then walk the short distance to the school. The schools may adopt measures such as painting footsteps on the sidewalk for the younger children to follow. The school saftey patrol may also assist with this effort.

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Created: 7:23 PM 2/28/2010
Last updated: 7:04 PM 11/20/2010