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New School Crossing Supervisor

Helping our kids get to school safely

By Jeremy Bain - 4th February 2003 - Back to News

As many children began their first day at school on Wednesday, one of Latrobe City Council’s school-crossing supervisors was embarking on her first day too. Sheryl English was finally able to spend her first day on the job supervising Commercial Road’s school crossing near Sacred Heart Primary School, after completing two months of training with Latrobe City Council.

Although Sheryl is a relief supervisor and does not have a permanent school-crossing, her job will take up a lot of her time and energy. Sheryl has to know details of the thirty-six crossings throughout Latrobe City, in case she has to relieve a supervisor there.

Ms English said her training involved a practical course in assisting children at various types of crossings, such as simple crossings with lights or flags, and ones where there are multiple lanes or filter intersections. "Each crossing is different so there needs to be an awareness of the different potential hazards, and there need to be different strategies implemented to ensure safety," Ms English said.

"Part of my role is also to ensure the children understand the school crossing supervisor’s whistle commands, and where necessary provide training at local schools to inform students about school crossing rules and road safety.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my first day. It’s great to be able to help kids get to school safely. I think it’s really important that they understand road rules and behave appropriately at school crossings because it only compromises their safety if they don’t," Ms English said.

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Tony Hanning, said that school-crossing supervisors played an important role in maintaining a safe environment for children on their way to school. "However, the supervisors cannot create a safe environment for children on their own. Motorists must pay extra attention at this time of year when young children are heading to school on foot or bicycle and may still be working out a safe pattern of accessing their school," Cr Hanning said.

"As motorists, we all have to take extra care and responsibility at this time of year to anticipate when and where a danger may emerge and drive accordingly. We should automatically be slowing down near schools in anticipation of kids on the road."

Cr Hanning also stressed the importance of parking safely around school crossings. "One of the greatest hazards for schoolchildren is parents who pull into the kerbside illegally near a school crossing to drop off their own kids. The fact that it may only be for a few seconds or a couple of minutes is not the point. They endanger other people’s children and their own, by obstructing the clear view of the crossing for pedestrians and other motorists. They may pull in no closer than 20m on the approach side. Our local laws officers will not hesitate to book motorists who endanger lives in this way, even if the infringement is only for a few seconds. There is a $100 on the spot fine for such an infringement."

School crossings are usually operating between the hours of 8am and 9am and from 3pm until 4pm. "Take extra care on the roads when there are children around, and If you are held up at a crossing be patient and remember that the crossing supervisors are dedicated to protecting children throughout the year in rain, hail or shine," Cr Hanning added.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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