Students take ‘fun traffic safety class at school’

“There are many cars passing by in front of the main gate to the school. Who do you think should be careful, you or the cars?”

Listening to the instructor’s questions, children answered one after another, with their innocent eyes shining brightly. “Cars,” “Both” and “On red light, we should not run, and instead watch the surroundings.”

Second graders at Gowon Elementary School in Seoul’s Guro district was awash with fever of questions and answers on traffic safety on Monday, when gusty winds blew amid rain. At the second class of the day, 24 students of the class took lesson about the danger of jaywalking and how to safely cross the crosswalk from Choi Mi-ja, 52, a “Mother and safety instructor” with the Citizens’ Council for Safety.

The children were handed a copy each of the textbook entitled “365 Days of Traffic Safety with Parents.” It is a traffic safety textbook for elementary students that has been published by the government for the first time, and it was produced jointly by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the council. Looking into the traffic safety textbook, students underlined and took notes.

The lesson included “Let’s not jaywalk,” which was followed by “Let’s walk on the edge, not the center of the road, in alleys (backside roads),” and “Let’s keep right when crossing the crossroad.” Following the lecturer’s lead, the children also chanted aloud five principles in road crossing. “First, stop! (at the crossroad)” “Second, watch the traffic light!” “Third, raise your (left) hand!” “Fourth, check (the vehicles)!” and “Fifth, cross!”

Students went out to the corridor, and practiced road-crossing in person at a “mock crossroad” installed on the floor. Some mischievous children were at play, but they apparently were having fun taking traffic safety lesson in the company of their friends.

Yoon Chae-jeong, 9, said with smiles, “It was fun and interesting to take (traffic) lesson at school with my friends. I sometimes jaywalked previously, and I will never do that again.” Cho Yoo-jin, 9, in the same class said sheepishly, “I learned for the first time today that we should keep right when crossing the crossroad. I will keep right when crossing from now on.”

The lesson was the first pilot class that was conducted with the newly published textbook. One class each was conducted for 18 classes between second to sixth graders at the school on the day. The lessons were given by nine motherhood safety coaches with the council. Lecturer Choi said, “The textbook has been systematically compiled, but it would have been even more effective if more colors were incorporated to stimulate children’s visual curiosity.”

The ministry and the council will conduct pilot lessons again in next year’s first half and further improve the textbook and the method of lessons. Schools that seek to adopt the textbook from next year’s spring semester are asked to contact the council at 02-843-8616.