6099 Children Serving In School Patrols

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30977, 5 February 1966, Page 2

6099 Children Serving In School Patrols

There are now 6099 children from 462 schools doing regular duty as school patrols, according to the Transport Department. There have been no fatal accidents on any crossing under patrol guidance, and only three or four of a minor ature.

The children who man the patrols have proved to be reliable, safe and efficient, the department says. Other children obey the patrols implicitly, and motorists, who have come to expect cooperation and consideration from well-trained patrols, respect their authority. Without the patrols and road safety instruction in schools, the traffic problem of children arriving at and leaving schools would be a serious problem.

Under the authority of the patrol children cross the road in groups. Until there is a large enough group, the patrol holds them in check. Full Control The school patrol has full control over the whole pedestrian crossing while one or both signs are extended, and all traffic must stop until both signs are withdrawn. In a recent court case, the department says, a driver was prosecuted for moving across a crossing before both signs had been withdrawn. The patrol had been “called off” by the teacher, and one patrol crossed the road with his sign raised, while the other extended his sign .on the other side.

The motorist had moved “slowly and" carefully” after the child had passed the centre line, but the judge upheld that it was necessary for him to remain stopped until the patrol had completed his crossing and both signs had been withdrawn. First Patrols The first officially recognised patrols were at the Linwood North and Invercargill Middle schools in 1931, although it was discovered

that Dunedin had originated the idea the year before. A Transport Department Officer (Mr A. J. Conway) inaugurated the scheme on a national basis. He circularised headmasters and put the whole thing on an official basis. The first road traffic instructor for schools was Mr T. W. Stringer, who interviewed education boards, inspectors, headmasters’ associations, school teachers, and anyone else interested in the scheme.