All children in school participate in some form of assembly which is one of the few times the whole school gets together. This time is used in many ways – for acts of worship, to give out notices, to meet visitors to the school, to react to incidents and as a learning experience. The use of assemblies with a road safety theme can help to reinforce learning, help the children reflect and discuss incidents/accidents, meet people who can help them and explore the moral implications of their actions in various situations. The opportunity for reflection at the end of each assembly should highlight moral issues. Road safety education is vital to enable children to be able to keep themselves as safe as possible on our roads. The most effective way of learning about road safety has been found to be experiential, out on the road, in real situations – for example, practical child pedestrian training. Children need to be involved in their own learning process and be given opportunities to discover solutions and strategies for themselves rather than be told what to do or learn processes by rote. These assemblies are best used to support and reinforce other road safety education and training activities. * Road accidents account for 25% of all deaths of school children. * Road accidents are the biggest single cause of death for all children between the ages of 1 and 15 years. * Road safety education can help save children’s lives by enabling them to develop the skills and concepts needed to keep themselves safe. (Author/publisher)
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