Pupils at a Tarneit school are putting their best foot forward to improve their health.
Baden Powell College, with the help of Wyndham council’s Health Together Wyndham team, has developed a plan aimed at encouraging pupils to walk or cycle to school.
About 80 per cent of its pupils live within two kilometres of the school, but only 27 per cent ride or walk there each day.
Assistant principal Jason Vandy said the school had chosen five safe travel paths and walking school bus routes to encourage pupils to choose walking over being driven to school.
“We want to decrease traffic congestion and hazards at peak times around the school and educate our students about healthy choices in and out of the classroom,” he said.
Mayor Bob Fairclough said the council was supporting the active travel plan because latest health statistics showed 57 per cent of Wyndham children were not getting their recommended daily minimum amount of physical activity.
“I encourage families who live a long way from the school to drop their children at the start of the marked routes and walk with them or, if they’re old enough and confident enough, allow them to walk to school without mum or dad,” he said.
“This is an easy way to get children in the habit of walking or riding and giving them a healthy start to life.”
The school received $5000 from the council to help implement the plan, while Bicycle Network has given the school $2500 to help with mapping the walking routes.
