International Walk to School Day: Walk to School Challenge
Safe Kids Thailand, under Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center (CSIP), Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, in collaboration with Safe Kids Worldwide and FedEx Express organized an event titled International Walk to School Day: Walk to School Challenge on 12 February 2020 at Wat Thongsalangam School, a school under Bangkok Provincial Educational Office.
The event aimed to have Wat Thongsalangam students urge the public to provide a safe walkway to school.
Relevant sectors related to safety including 250 participants joined the event – – Acting Deputy Superintendent, Pol.Lt.Col.
Rungniran Chansiri from Phasi Charoen Police Station as the chairman with the team of inspectors, Director of Wat Thongsalangam School, Ms. Ammarawadee Palakawongse na ayudhya, with teachers and students, Head of Phasi Charoen Municipal Office and municipal officials, the superior monk of Wat Thongsalangam, the safety department of Gamma Industries Co., Ltd., community leaders, parents core team, sellers nearby school, and staff of Safe Kids Thailand, CSIP.
Walk to School Challenge has been designed by students of Wat Thongsalangam School together with the Safe Kids Thailand team, based on the idea that many adults may not yet know that what obstacles a child encounters along the walkway to school.
The Children therefore challenge the adults in a risky situation they may face every day. Children has simulated the risks in the form of simple, exciting activities, but fun and reflecting the real problems that children face along the walkway to school every day, such as no footpaths, no crossing roads, fast driving cars.
The activity began with a representative student presenting 3 risky areas nearby Wat Thongsalangam School:
• Risk No.1. “No footpath in school zone” Most of children go to-and-from school by walk; however, there are no explicit footpaths. The walk ways children use every day are also used by vehicles. This puts them at risk toward accident.
• Risk No. 2. “No traffic signs at curve or junction” No traffic signs or caution signs that are needed to be placed at curve or at junction such as school zone sign, reduce speed sign, washboard road, curve mirror, traffic light, etc. This puts students at risk with the traffic in spite of having most carefulness.
• Risk No. 3. “a common route shared by children and vehicles” There is no sidewalk or walk way to school; therefore, students and vehicles share the same route. Students may encounter with fast driving cars, no reducing speed cars or even no stop when students are crossing roads.
After presentation, students took all adults to start their exciting walk way.
Risk No.1 Challenge to Walk by Master Pansa Homsombat (Nong Khun), primary 5/1
“Good morning, I’m Master Pansa Homsombat (Nong Khun), primary 5/1
Welcome to risk platform No. 1 titled Challenge to Walk. I would like to have 3 adults enjoy this challenge.”
(3 adults for the challenge)
“For this challenge, the rule is you have to walk according to the foot pictures correctly.”
(Show by Nong Khun )
Reflection after the challenge
“I would like you all understand how difficult my friends and I face when we walk at school zone. There is no explicit and clear footpath serving as safe walkway for students.
I would like to call for your kindness providing safe walk way to us, Thank you.”
Risk No. 2 Challenge at Curve by Miss Sopida Kachasiripongse (Nong Crep), primary 6/1
“Good morning, I’m Miss Sopida Kachasiripongse (Nong Crep), primary 6/1
Welcome to risk platform No.2 titled Challenge at Curve. I would like to have 3 adults enjoy this challenge”
(3 adults for the challenge)
“For this challenge, the rule is to find out 5 hidden pictures in this zone.”
(Nong Crepe may give a clue if needed.)
Reflection after the challenge
“I would like you all to understand how dangerous my friends and I face when we walk to school in particular, at curve, at junction. We need carefully notice all the vehicles.
I would like to call for your kindness providing traffic signs, caution signs, school zone sign, reduce speed sign, curve mirror, and traffic light. Thank you.”
Risk No. 3 Challenge to keep myself Safe by Master Pannawat Wongkiatkaew (Nong Pluem) primary 5/1
“Good morning, I’m Master Pannawat Wongkiatkaew (Nong Pluem) primary 5/1
Welcome to risk platform No.31 titled Challenge to keep myself Safe. I would like to have an adult enjoy this challenge”
(1 adult for the challenge)
“For this challenge, the rule is you are blindfolded, turned around 3 times, after then you have to walk to destination safely and correctly by following our instructions.”
(Show by Nong Pluem )
Reflection after the challenge
“I would like you all to understand how difficult and dangerous my friends and I face when we walk at school zone. Our walkway to school or the existing sidewalk is shared by us and cars or motorbikes. We need to keep ourselves away from these vehicles and keep ourselves safe to school.
I would like to call for your kindness providing safe sidewalk to us, clear and separated walkway from road. This will put the safety for us and community. Thank you.”
After the 3 platforms, Miss Apinya Thaiudom (Nong Ing) and Miss Sakunee Khingka (Nong Pim) from primary 6/1, the representatives of students made 3 requests to the chairman and all participants:
- No We would like to have walkway in school zone for our safety during walk to school. We would like the car to have speed limit at 30 km/hr. so that it cannot put us in danger when we are on walkway or crossing the road.
- No We would like to have traffic safety and safety signs in school zone such as safe crossing road, reduce speed sign, school zone sign, curve mirror, washboard road, traffic light or other safety traffic signs to facilitate when we walk to-and-from school.
- No We would like to have a bike track in school zone for our friends who can ride to school safely.
The chairman paid fully attention to the requests and will bring these to an action with the relevant sectors including Phasi Charoen Municipal Office, Phasi Charoen Police Station, and community leaders.
Participants appreciated the event and students for their creativity and assertiveness. According to this event, Safe Kids Thailand and CSIP will summarize and propose to Bangkok Governor to assist the risk modification at Wat Thongsalangam School and to mobilize at policy level for other schools under Bangkok Provincial Educational Office encountering the same problems.
After lunch, Safe Kids Thailand carried out an activity about safe pedestrian for students as the end of today event.
