Children encouraged to walk to school

National “Walk to School” and “Walk on Wednesday” initiatives – part of An Taisce’s Green Schools Travel programme – are to take place next week.

According to An Taisce growing interest among parents and schoolchildren in the Walk to School on Wednesday initiative, provided the impetus for a week long promotion of sustainable travel for children.

Data collected by the organisation from 18,000 school children in the Dublin region showed a 52 per cent increase in numbers of children cycling to school in the last year.

In the same period there was a 31 per cent increase in the numbers of children walking and an 18 per cent reduction in the numbers being brought to school by car.

Funding for the Green Schools Travel initiative is provided by the Department of Transport, which also sponsors the Green School travel Awards.

Speaking as he presented the awards today, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said while the scheme was a success, 60 per cent of children were still being driven to school by private car and slightly more then 200,000 of them travel less than 4 kilometres.

Some 55,000 children are driven less than 2 kilometres to school.

The Minister said the Green Schools National Walk to School Week, which will take place from May 18th to 22nd, was a good occasion to develop new travel plans for children who would be inclined to maintain habits learnt early in life.

The central event is Walk on Wednesday, taking place on May 20th.

“The results achieved through this programme show that it’s possible to make a real difference to school travel patterns. Parents and children throughout Ireland are learning from it. The aim of the upcoming Walk to School Week is to get 50,000 students walking to school on 20 May as part of the national Walk on Wednesday initiative. I’m confident that we can achieve this ambitious target. By 2012 I want to see 265,000 children right around the country walking, cycling or using public transport alternatives to get to school.”

There are now 131 schools participating in the Green Schools Travel scheme in Leinster; 87 schools participating in Munster; 86 in Connaught and 13 schools participating in Ulster.

The winners in the Green Schools travel awards, which required school children to take a photo or make a short digital film on the theme’ How I get to school, were: Eva Cross (5) Ballyglass NS, Ballyglass, Ardrahan, Co. Galway;Jeanie Copeland (5) St. Brigid NS, Crossbridge, Co. Wicklow;Mairead Fallon (10) S.N Seamus Naofa, Boley Beg, Barna, Co. Galway; Stiofán Ó Marcaigh (11)Scoil Raifteirí, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; Rory McKeon (12) St. Patrick's BNS, Donabate, Co.Dublin; Niamh Ní Shé (12) Gaelscoil Lios na nÓg, Donnybrook, Dublin 4; Alison O'Neill , Shauna O'Toole. Judith Doyle, Orla Stafford, Deimante Stankeviciute St. Leo's College, Carlow;