Parents and carers are responsible for their child's safety when travelling to and from school
School's responsibility
Under the Department's Code of Conduct, section 21. Duty of Care, schools have an obligation to provide reasonable care to:
- provide adequate supervision
- ensure grounds, premises and equipment are safe for employees, students and the general public. This extends to the entry and exit of students to school grounds. School risk assessments need to factor in the age, ability and maturity level of the students as well as any individual characteristics. These will influence the standard of care required.
Safety of students as road users
Schools need to work with and educate students and the school community about using current traffic infrastructure to ensure students are kept as safe as practically possible.
- Curriculum: road safety is a mandatory part of K-10 PDHPE syllabuses and the Stage 6 Crossroads course. Teachers should localise teaching and learning activities to reflect the environmental conditions in which students travel/live.
- School community: schools should regularly inform and communicate how they expect parents/carers to act in the school zone traffic environment. This can be done via social media, school newsletters, school website, school brochures, kindergarten orientations.
- Working with external agencies: schools should notify others e.g. police, local Council parking rangers/road safety officer/traffic engineer, local businesses if changes to the school zone traffic environment will make it safer for students.
Advice for safe walking
Road safety education, driver education and training policy
Under the Department's policy school staff, parents/carers and students all have a responsibility to take reasonable measures to protect students against risk of injury or harm. This extends to the entry and exit of students to school grounds.
Further information
Centre for Road Safety
Your local council Road Safety Officer
