The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Road safety likely in school curriculum

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Friday, Aug 08, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Road safety likely in school curriculum

Meera Srinivasan & Vidya Venkat

Decision on integrating a module to be taken by syllabus committee during next revision

— PHOTO: K.V.SRINIVASAN

SAFETY MATTERS: With the ever-increasing traffic on Chennai roads, road safety measures for students are the need of the hour, say school heads. A scene near a school at Gopalapuram on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: The State government is considering inclusion of road safety as a chapter in the school curriculum, according to Joint Transport Commissioner D. Narayanamoorthy.

Road safety rules such as compulsory helmet use for two-wheeler riders need to be taught in schools and the government may soon include it in school books, he told a function here on Wednesday.

When contacted, a senior official of the School Education Department said that some classes already had a portion on road safety and safe transportation. However, a decision regarding integrating a module for all the children would have to be taken by the syllabus committee during the next revision of syllabus, he added.

Welcome move, say principals

Educationists welcome this proposal and feel it will help increase awareness levels.

President of Principals’ Association of Matriculation Schools in Tamil Nadu N. Vijayan says: “It is certainly a very good move. When children are made to understand the importance of road safety, they will ensure that their parents follow safety measures.”

He suggested that a detailed chapter be integrated to the curriculum, as is done in schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education.

Jayshree Padmanabhan, Principal of Gill Adarsh Matriculation Higher Secondary School, also feels that having a chapter exclusively on road safety is a very good idea. “It will help children understand and follow road safety rules,” she says.

Ms. Padmanabhan also feels that besides integration of road safety concepts to the curriculum, the traffic police should also lend their support to schools like theirs, which has about 3,000 students, and is located in a congested area.

“Though our RSP candidates try and regulate traffic outside the school, it is difficult. The traffic police can help by declaring the stretch a one-way for an hour each in the morning and evening, and perhaps by putting up ‘no parking’ sign boards to ease traffic congestion,” she notes.

‘Catch them young’

P. Vijayalakshmi, Principal of Chinmaya Vidyalaya (Chinmaya Nagar), says children in classes I and II already have modules on road safety as part of their Environmental Sciences (EVS) lessons. “They are taught to read the traffic signal and cross the roads carefully. It is important that we teach them when they are young,” she emphasises.

In the wake of increasing number of road accidents involving students and the rising road rage, it is vital to train young minds on road safety, she notes. “In addition to the lessons, practical sessions by the traffic police may be included. We had invited traffic police personnel and they demonstrated road safety measures. The children really enjoyed the session,” Ms. Vijayalakshmi added.

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