By Danielle Kutchel
Over 350,000 students across Australia are set to ride, scoot, skate or walk to school on Bicycle Network’s National Ride2School Day on Friday 19 March.
Among them will be students from Rangebank Primary School in Cranbourne, continuing a tradition that’s more than five years strong.
Debra Ignace, a teacher at Rangebank, said the initiative was first introduced to Rangebank by the school’s principal, who has a love of cycling and understands the importance of keeping kids active.
“Many of our students walk to school, scooter to school and grade 4 to 6 students are able to ride their bikes to school,” she added.
“We have a dedicated bike area so that the bikes are safe during the day. Some of our younger students ride with parents.
The benefits are many, according to Ms Ignace: riding to school encourages students to be active and ensures they are ready to learn when they get to school, while also increasing students’ confidence and independence.
In the lead up to the day, Rangebank promotes the event through posters and at school assemblies, and runs bike education sessions for students.
The focus isn’t just on students, but on their parents too, Ms Ignace explained.
“My advice to parents thinking about allowing their child to ride to school would be to ensure they have a safe bike and helmet. It is important to ensure they know the way and the importance of watching for other riders, people and cars.”
National Ride2School Day is Australia’s biggest bike riding party and the peak of the Ride2School program which works to help children get their 60 minutes of daily exercise by riding a bike to school.
Bicycle Network General Manager of Public Affairs Anthea Hargreaves said that National Ride2School Day is a great time to start going to school the healthy way.
“National Ride2School Day is a fun way for students and parents to experience the joy of riding a bike. There’s no better time to make riding to school part of your routine,” she said.
“Riding to school is free and fun and can also help students perform better in the classroom. Studies have shown students arrive at school energised, alert and more ready to learn.”
Participation numbers in 2021 could receive a boost from the increased interest in bike riding, with a VicHealth survey finding more than 1 in 4 Victorian households with kids have been doing more walking or bike riding during coronavirus than they did in January and February this year.
“If you got a new bike or dusted off your old one during 2020, it will love to get a ride on National Ride2School Day,” Ms Hargreaves said.
“Ride2School helps break down the barriers to active travel, with schools in the program reporting more than double the national average of students who ride, walk, scoot and skate to school.”
Students won’t just be doing it for themselves, with many schools also fundraising for World Bicycle Relief to send specially designed Buffalo Bicycles to villages in Africa.
Buffalo Bicycles give children in developing countries a way of getting to school safely and quickly.
National Ride2School Day is part of Bicycle Network’s Ride2School program which has been running nationally since 2006.
