The Road Safety Calendar, used to educate school children, is now forty years old.
The calendar is a visual teaching aid and was first published in 1972 to provide information and advice to school children on how to stay safe on our roads.
The first calendar featured the character Jimmy. In 1981 after many years of service, Jimmy was replaced by Ginger. In 2000, Ginger graduated and was replaced by the now popular ‘Skooter’, who continues to demonstrate safe behaviours for children when using the road.
In paying tribute to the important role played by the Calendar in young people’s education, Environment Minister Alex Attwood on a visit to Harmony Primary school, accompanied by ‘Skooter’ said: “I have to say, I am more of the Jimmy era than any of the characters that followed! In educating the public though and influencing attitudes and behaviours towards road safety, a vital first step is to instil good road user attitudes and behaviours in young people. What is learnt and put into practice at an early age forms the basis of adult behaviour.
“The Calendar is an interesting, exciting way for children to learn and it has certainly stood the test of time. Remember, back in 1972, 372 people lost their lives on the roads. Through a variety of better education, enforcement and engineering initiatives this figure has significantly reduced and the Road Safety Calendar has played its part in that.”
Harmony Primary School has a display featuring some of the original calendars and the children invited ‘Skooter’ to have a look back in time.
The School Principal Mrs Hutchinson, in receiving next year’s Calendar from the Minister said: “We display the Road Safety Calendar in all classrooms from nursery to Primary 7. They are a great visual aid and include suggested curriculum links for discussion purposes. They are used by teachers on a weekly basis to highlight relevant issues such as finding safe places to cross the road and to play, safer cycling, use of seatbelts and the importance of wearing something bright.”
The calendar is published in three formats to correspond with different age groups in primary schools one for early years, one for middle years and one for upper years.
Every nursery school, primary school and special school in Northern Ireland receives a copy of the calendar for each classroom.
Recent survey results show that the Teaching Aid Calendar continues to be an essential part of teaching Road Safety to children in Northern Ireland.
Notes to editors:
1. For media enquiries and photographs please contact the DOE Press Office on 028 9025 6058 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
The calendar is a visual teaching aid and was first published in 1972 to provide information and advice to school children on how to stay safe on our roads.
The first calendar featured the character Jimmy. In 1981 after many years of service, Jimmy was replaced by Ginger. In 2000, Ginger graduated and was replaced by the now popular ‘Skooter’, who continues to demonstrate safe behaviours for children when using the road.
In paying tribute to the important role played by the Calendar in young people’s education, Environment Minister Alex Attwood on a visit to Harmony Primary school, accompanied by ‘Skooter’ said: “I have to say, I am more of the Jimmy era than any of the characters that followed! In educating the public though and influencing attitudes and behaviours towards road safety, a vital first step is to instil good road user attitudes and behaviours in young people. What is learnt and put into practice at an early age forms the basis of adult behaviour.
“The Calendar is an interesting, exciting way for children to learn and it has certainly stood the test of time. Remember, back in 1972, 372 people lost their lives on the roads. Through a variety of better education, enforcement and engineering initiatives this figure has significantly reduced and the Road Safety Calendar has played its part in that.”
Harmony Primary School has a display featuring some of the original calendars and the children invited ‘Skooter’ to have a look back in time.
The School Principal Mrs Hutchinson, in receiving next year’s Calendar from the Minister said: “We display the Road Safety Calendar in all classrooms from nursery to Primary 7. They are a great visual aid and include suggested curriculum links for discussion purposes. They are used by teachers on a weekly basis to highlight relevant issues such as finding safe places to cross the road and to play, safer cycling, use of seatbelts and the importance of wearing something bright.”
The calendar is published in three formats to correspond with different age groups in primary schools one for early years, one for middle years and one for upper years.
Every nursery school, primary school and special school in Northern Ireland receives a copy of the calendar for each classroom.
Recent survey results show that the Teaching Aid Calendar continues to be an essential part of teaching Road Safety to children in Northern Ireland.
Notes to editors:
1. For media enquiries and photographs please contact the DOE Press Office on 028 9025 6058 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
Story by DOE
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