Department to conduct school debates for Road Safety

Department to conduct school debates for Road Safety

Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison will hold school debates and Participatory Education Techniques (PET) which are aimed at teaching learners road safety in an interactive approach and to advance their points of view about the safety of road users.

This project was initiated in 2004 after road accident statistics showed that most of the crashes that occur involved people under 25 years of age. Road Safety Debates and the PET are therefore dedicated to young road users who use the roads as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, novice drivers and passengers.

Learners from Secondary schools are the ones targeted and they debate on motions such as pedestrian safety, traffic law enforcement, effectiveness of traffic regulations, effectiveness of road safety, Administration Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) and other road safety related motions.

On the PET, competitors are expected to build their demo structures to show how they could implement road safety techniques. MEC Vusi Shongwe will award the provincial winners who will later compete with other provinces at national competitions that will be held in October this year at Boksburg in Gauteng Province.

This year’s participants for debates are Mgubho Combined School, Mahhushe Secondary School, Sibusisiwe Secondary School and Hlanganani Secondary School all from Ehlanzeni District. Nkangala Region will be represented by learners from Sozama Secondary, Mafu High, Zacheus Malaza Secondary and Allendale High schools.

Memezile Secondary, Mashishing High, Orhovelang High and Wem Private schools will be standing for Bohlabela Region. Gert Sibande Region will find representation in Takheleni Secondary, Highveld Secondary, Dlomodlomo Secondary, Lake Chrissie Secondary and Amadlelo Aluhlaza Secondary schools.

Schools such as Jerusalem High School from Ehlanzeni Region and Skhila Secondary from Bohlabela Region as well as Takheni Secondary will compete with each other in PET competitions. Mpumalanga Province was the first to introduce the debates and the province became number one nationally in the year 2007 and 2010.

The Provincial Road Safety Debates and PET competitions will be held on Saturday 26 September 2015 at Makause Combined School, Phola Location, Ogies.