‘Road Safety Club’ in schools to make students champions of the cause

Kolkata: Roping in schools under West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) for creating awareness on traffic rules, the head of institutions have been asked to form ‘Road Safety Club.’

The club will include an assistant teacher who will be the school level programme officer, school-level coordinator which will be a student from higher class and an NGO recommended by sub-divisional or block or police administration and at least five students and two parents on rotational basis.

It will be formulated under the ongoing Road Safety programme conducted by the Transport department. Considering the School Education department is one of the stakeholders, the decision to have a club and conduct monthly seminars was taken. The Transport department had proposed the formation of the club, the objective of which would be to make students champions of the Road Safety cause.

Students will be educated about road signage, signals and markings. They will be briefed about the dangers of over-speeding and road accident data. Furthermore, the members will be given first aid training along with exposure visits.

Primarily, students of government, government-aided and government-sponsored schools will be covered under this programme. The private schools will also be requested to encourage formation of

similar clubs and take part in the initiative.

Schools in the city welcomed the initiative and have expressed commitment in forming the club.

According to principals of government and government-aided schools, several seminars relating to road safety with stress on helmets have been held recently. “If a student learns and understands the importance of following the rules and regulations, they will be able to return home and make their guardians alert and responsible,” an official said.