Ukraine introduces "Bicycle to School" online platform with educational materials and safety tests for students and teachers
Ukraine has launched the "Bike to School" educational platform.
While cycling is becoming increasingly popular in the country, road safety remains a major concern. The platform provides the needed knowledge to improve bicycle safety, Rubryka reports.
What's the problem?
Cycling is gaining popularity in Ukraine, but road safety remains a significant issue in the country. Road accidents are the most common cause of death among young people under 18.
In addition to insufficient cycling infrastructure, a frequent problem is the lack of knowledge about traffic rules and proper behavior on the road. This fact was confirmed by the results of an online survey in Ukrainian schools at the end of 2021 as part of the "Bike to School" campaign on the level of road safety knowledge among students and teachers.
The participants found open-ended questions most challenging, where they had to provide detailed answers, such as who has the right of way in a specific situation, what equipment a bicycle should have, what actions to take when making turns, etc. Interestingly, only 35.8% of respondents knew what is prohibited while cycling — giving signals on the sidewalk, using a phone, and making unpredictable maneuvers.
The Department of Patrol Police of Ukraine presented statistics on road accidents, including those involving cyclists, at the opening of the Veloforum 2023 conference on road safety education and school mobility during the Week of Road Safety in Ukraine.
"Road safety is crucial because, in the first ten months of 2023, there were 19,743 road accidents with casualties and fatalities in Ukraine, and unfortunately, 2,493 people, including 155 children, lost their lives," said Oleksii Biloshytskyi, the First Deputy Chief of the Department of Patrol Police of Ukraine. "There were 1,275 accidents involving cyclists in the first ten months of this year. These are significant figures and losses."
He added that besides police work in the field of safety, organization, and traffic supervision, educational activities were essential to improve legal awareness of road safety. School police officers have been working in Ukraine since 2016, explaining the rules of safe road traffic both in schools and communities.
"We gladly supported the national campaign 'Bike to School.' Patrol police representatives contributed to developing educational materials and their distribution so that everyone possesses the necessary skills and knowledge for cycling and respects each other on the road," Biloshytskyi said.
What's the solution?
Changes in the New Ukrainian School (NUS) and the online platform of the national "Bike to School" campaign with educational materials and tests on cycling safety for teachers and students were presented on November 13 at Veloforum 2023 "Bike to School: Road Safety Education and School Mobility" in Kyiv at the "Osvitoria Hub" at the beginning of the Week of Road Safety in Ukraine.
The "Bike to School" national campaign started in Ukraine in 2021 as part of the project "Implementation of cycling safety education in Ukrainian schools. Promoting sustainable mobility and improving road safety for children and youth in Ukraine," implemented by U-Cycle (NGO "Association of Cyclists of Kyiv") in partnership with ChildFund Deutschland and with the financial support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
The campaign is also supported by the MATRA Program of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine. The project aims to integrate cycling safety education into Ukrainian school education to provide more effective protection for children and teenagers on bicycles and increase their participation in road traffic.
"During the 'Bike to School' campaign, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine made relevant changes to the educational programs, particularly updating and supplementing topics on cycling safety in the subjects 'Basics of Health' for grades 6-9 and 'I Explore the World' in elementary school, adding the 'Cycling' module to physical education programs," said Svitlana Fitsailo, the Head of the Content of Education, Language Policy, and Education of National Minorities at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. "Much work has also been done in the educational and methodological support of bike mentors, teachers who will teach children safe cycling. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine will continue supporting initiatives to shape safe behavior in children and increase their awareness. Through children, we can influence parents."
The national campaign "Bike to School" is taking place in collaboration with the State Scientific Institution "Institute of Modernization of Educational Content" of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
How does it work?
Teachers from Ukrainian schools, educators from various institutions, patrol and juvenile police officers, community activists, parents, and guardians can become bike mentors for children and adolescents.
The "Bike to School" online platform with educational materials for teachers and students includes:
- A test on knowledge of traffic rules and cycling culture.
- An online course for bike mentors.
- Animated interactive videos for students.
- Educational and methodological guides for bike mentors and workbooks with exercises for students.
- Recommendations for creating a training ground for cycling safety on the school or community premises.
- Other useful educational materials on cycling safety.
- An entry questionnaire for the all-Ukrainian network of bike mentors.
The online platform provides equal access to knowledge about cycling safety for Ukrainian youth and educators: Bike to School
"The national campaign 'Bike to School' is our contribution to developing civil society, safe cities and communities, promoting cycling among students, who will become conscious participants in road traffic in the future, and positively transforming communities in Ukraine," said Anastasia Makarenko, Executive Director of U-Cycle (NGO "Kyiv Cyclists' Association"). "We believe that education on cycling safety will translate into saved lives, and bike-friendly schools will launch bike-friendly cities and communities, comfortable for living."
The Veloforum 2023 conference also hosted the presentation about changes made to the New Ukrainian School (NUS) regarding education on cycling safety, the success of the "Bike to School" national campaign in integrating education on cycling safety into the school program, and bike festivals in 15 pilot Ukrainian schools. The participants also shared expert advice on how communities can restore and develop cycling infrastructure and sustainable mobility.
The conference had networking among participants from secondary education institutions, local government bodies, the Patrol Police, civic organizations from the Ukrainian Bicycle Network, and the Institute for Modernization of Education Content at the Ministry of Education.
The video recording of the online broadcast of the conference is available on YouTube: Education on cycling safety in Ukrainian schools and Sustainable mobility.
Veloforum is an annual conference in Ukraine at the intersection of transport policy, sustainable local development, and civil society. This year, the conference became the final event of the national campaign "Bike to School."
