The Eastern Cape Department of Transport Amathole District recently held its participatory educational technique project at its District office in East London.
This initiative is rolled out in a form of a competition where a team of 10 learners from each participating school is required to identify road safety related problems around their schools and come up with solutions and present their story in front of an audience and a panel of adjudicators with a written presentation also attached.
Targeting grade 10 and 11 pupils, the project is aimed at creating road safety awareness amongst them and its concept requires them to conduct extensive research and come up with solutions which include, education, law enforcement, engineering, liquor outlets near roads, playgrounds too close to main road etc.
Various schools within Amathole jurisdiction competed and the results were as follows:
First Place: Ndabankulu High School from Butterworth
Second Place: Tsholomnqa High School from East London
Third Place: Idutywa School of Excellence from Butterworth
The project is in line with the Department’s Road Safety/Transport Safety section mandate of ensuring that all road users are safe when using the road and this is done by educating different target audiences through scholar programmes, community outreach projects and arrive alive campaigns and its objective is to:
- Make learners aware of road safety issues in their community
- Empowers learners with research skills
- Develop learner’s presentation skills
- Promote team work in the school environment
