Children in Key Stage 1 at Ellington Infant School in Ramsgate have been having great fun on their scooters, while also learning vital safety skills this week.
All children in Years 1 and 2 have taken part in Scooter Safety sessions, which initially take place on the school playground, to learn key skills. Following this, children venture out onto the local streets to put their training into practice.
The scooter training is designed to deal with the main causes of scooter accidents and includes training the children on how to check their scooter is safe, what to do if they get tired, how to slow down, stop and deal with an emergency situation, pavement etiquette with pedestrians, common pavement dangers and hazards , cars reversing from driveways and road crossing.
The children have had great fun taking part in fun scooter drills on the playground and enjoyed their time getting used to the surrounding streets.
Bertie, from Donaldson Class, said: “It was really exciting because we got to go outside of school!” Alex, from Coelho Class, said: “I enjoyed going round and round on the playground.”
Headteacher Adnan Ahmet is a supporter of the scooter training. He said: “Scooters are now a very common mode of transport for children that come to our school and we have dedicated scooter parking areas that the children case use.
“It makes sense then that as a school we should be equipping our children with the necessary skills to keep themselves safe, while enjoying themselves at the same time.”
Headteacher Adnan Ahmet is a supporter of the scooter training. He said: “Scooters are now a very common mode of transport for children that come to our school.
Whatever happened to walking? There are far too many teenagers & those way too old enough to be riding them acting like lunatics & hooligans roaring past people on them-now they are teaching it to them from childhood. Who paid for these scooters-the parents or the school/taypayer?
Strange to find myself agreeing with someone who calls themselves Tory Boy Manston Lover. But I do.
Plus, while the kids do not seem to be on electric scooters, it’s pretty obvious that it is those they are being trained to use on pavements. Currently that is not legal in Thanet.
Your right Carina, all electric scooters in Thanet are illegal, and electric bikes too! Recently a woman with a child about 6 years old was on an electric scooter in my road, coming straight at me! She didn’t seem to know how to stop, and I am no longer agile to move quickly out of the way! She did manage to swerve to avoid me, but had she hit me it would have been a hospital job, or worse!
A week or so ago a man on an electric bike came up behind me in St Lukes Avenue, Ramsgate, when I was on my Mobility Scooter, who overtook me doing at least 40 to 50 mph, who I did not hear! He didn’t have a helmet on, and no insurance so had he hit me again it would probably have meant serious injury, or most probably worse! These machines are all illegal but the police do nothing about them, which means Thanet is lawless!