Have you ever wished you learned something practical in school? Something you can use in your adult life?
Well, South Africa will be taking that approach by including driving lessons in high school curriculums.
On Jan. 17, the county’s transport minister announced they will push driving lessons in schools as a part of a long-term initiative to make roads safer by “skilling” drivers.
“Formal education and training will remain important but we must also broaden our minds and find ways to include road safety messages into the wider curriculum, into mathematics and science, geography and civic education,” Elizabeth Dipuo Peters said in a statement.
According to Peters, the driving lessons will be implemented during the 2017/2018 fiscal year.
“We also have the partnership with the Department of Basic Education to ensure the inclusion of road safety in the curriculum and the training of teachers. This essentially entails different aspects of road safety awareness which are intended to adequately skill new drivers,” Peters said.
South Africa has seen an alarming increase in road accidents, according to the minister’s office, with nearly 50 people killed in car accidents a day.
The department of transportation blames the increase on South African drivers not properly knowing the rules of the road.
“The death of breadwinners, heads of families, and economically active youth at the threshold of their lives, as well as innocent young children and toddlers, weighs heavily on our country, sets society back and harms our economy,” Road Accident Fund (RAF) chief executive officer Eugene Watson said in a statement.
That’s why officials have decided to make driving school mandatory for anyone in high school, guaranteeing that everyone has access to lessons and can get proper training on road safety.
Comments