Walking School Bus™
A Walking School Bus™ is a group of primary school children who walk to and from school along a safe and enjoyable set route, accompanied by a minimum of two parent driver/supervisors per ‘bus’. One parent ‘drives’ at the front of the bus while the other parent supervises at the rear of the bus. Additional parents may be added to the bus along the route. The walking bus picks up passengers along the way at designated bus stops[1].
Additional information about the walking school bus concept can be found at http://www.travelsmart.gov.au.The responsibility for travel to and from school is a parent responsibility. Whilst the Department of Education and Training supports positive messages about involvement in physical activity and reduction of traffic congestion around schools it is unable to endorse or support a Walking School Bus™ as a matter of policy. The responsibility for transport to and from school remains a parental responsibility. The NSW Federation of Parents and Citizens Association also does not endorse or support the Walking School Bus™ concept.
Organisers of a Walking School Bus™would need to address a range of significant concerns for a Walking School Bus™ to be implemented at a NSW primary school.
These concerns include:
- provision of public liability insurance
- implementation of satisfactory child protection procedures
- identification of potential risk and implementation of strategies to minimise risk to children in the traffic environment. This would include assessment of local traffic conditions, distance students need to travel, age of students and other risks or hazards
- provision of strategies to address absences/unavailability of bus 'drivers' and supervisors
- provision of strategies to address unsuitable weather conditions
- provision of effective strategies to manage behaviour of bus 'passengers' in the traffic environment
- provision of comprehensive training for school bus 'drivers' and supervisors
- procedures for determining parental permission for student involvement in a Walking School Bus™
- procedures for managing daily participation in a Walking School Bus™ eg. late comers, absent students, attendance lists etc
Some questions to consider when implementing a Walking School Bus™
How far does this walking bus travel? Is it a suitable distance for the age of the students?
What happens if a parent wants their student involved but the walking bus does not travel that way…who decides the route?
Is the route changed each year depending upon the students involved or who have left the school?
Who is responsible for gaining written permission and ensuring all students who travel on the walking bus have signed the relevant forms?
How do new parents join and could this affect the route?
How many walking buses would need to be run to meet the needs of the school – in different directions?
Who do parents let know if a student is not part of the walking school bus that day? Who keeps the list of who is attending?
What happens if a student turns up to walk home or to school and no written permission is given?
What happens if a student is running late? Does the bus wait?
Who funds the project if the sponsor pulls out?
Who coordinates the project if administrating organisation pulls out?
What happens if the volunteer doesn’t turn up?
What happens in wet weather?
What happens if there is a change during the day and a student is picked up by the parent?
Who conducts the training? What road safety messages are given at the training?
What happens if a student’s behaviour is not safe near the roads? Can a student be banned from travelling by the walking bus, or who deals with it?
Is there a limit/ratio to the number of students involved in the walking bus?
Does the volunteer need to have a first aid certificate and carry a first aid kit?
What happens if the numbers of volunteers drop?
What happens if the volunteer takes a different route to the designated route and an accident occurs?
What happens if students want to have a play at another student’s house along the way?
Can the walking bus stop at the shops along the way?
What happens if the route becomes dangerous due to changes in road works? Who decides to change the route? Can the volunteer change the route?
Are hazards identified to the volunteer and strategies to cope eg. stray dogs, driveways, building works, uneven footpaths, no footpaths, parked cars on footpaths, etc?
What happens if students are kept in at school, or late from excursion, does the bus wait? Who is responsible for notifying parents?
Does the volunteer drop the student at the gate/house or bus stop?
Who is responsible if no adult is there to pick up, especially younger students?
[1] Walking School Bus A guide for parents and teachers Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage Australian Greenhouse Office
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