Commission urges teachers to embrace road safety education concept

Mr Kwame Kodua Atuahene, Head of Communications of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), on Wednesday appealed to teachers to embrace the road safety education concept integrated into the basic school education curricula.

He explained that the integration was to help instil positive road user attitude into school children.

Mr Atuahene made the appeal in an interview with newsmen after the opening session of a three-day trainer of trainee’s workshop on the “Road Safety Textbooks and Manuals” at Abesim, near Sunyani.

It is being organised by the NRSC with support from the European Union and attended by more than 100 selected staff of the Ghana Education Service drawn from the Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Brong-Ahafo Regions.

Participants would be exposed to contents in the road safety textbooks and manuals, printed by the commission for distribution among basic schools in the country.

Mr Atuahene explained that six per cent of all deaths through pedestrian crossing occur among children of less than 10 years, because they are ignorant of road traffic regulations.

He was optimistic that with the introduction of the road safety education concept in schools, pupils would be exposed to basic knowledge in road safety.

Mr Atuahene observed that the concept would have positive impact on pupils when teachers showed keen interest.

He pointed out that road safety education was a shared and collective responsibility of all and sundry, including children, who have a role to play.

The Head of Communication acknowledged the collaboration between the Commission and the GES as well as other key partners in helping to control road crashes in the country. Mr Atuahene said because of such effective partnership, recorded road accidents in 2013 had seen some reduction as compared to the previous year.

Mr Mensah Abrampa Agyabeng, Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of NRSC, reminded the participants of their critical role in ensuring that the road safety education concept was sustained in the basic school curricula.

He said the Brong-Ahafo Regional Secretariat of the Commission had intensified road education in basic schools, and would soon reach out to the communities.

Mr Agyabeng expressed appreciation to the support of the Media and the Commission’s key partners in curbing road crashes in the Region.