Launch of pilot program aimed at reducing the number of injuries in schools

22/9/96

Education Minister Colin Barnett has launched a pilot program aimed at reducing the number of injuries in schools - and called on school children in the City of Bayswater to give the thumbs-up to the safety rules.

The Safety Rules OK program encourages school children to take responsibility for making their school environments safe. It aims to increase awareness and knowledge of injury prevention and promote strategies of prevention policies among the school and child and family day care centre communities.

Safety Rules OK is a joint project between the City of Bayswater and the Inner City Health Service of the Health Department of Western Australia. The program is funded by Healthway, endorsed by Kidsafe WA and supported by the Education Department of WA.

The schools participating in the program are: Durham Road Special School, Ashfield Primary School, Camboon Primary School, Coolbinia Primary School, the Infant Jesus Primary School, Inglewood Primary School, Kyilla Primary School, Maylands Primary School, North East Metropolitan Language School, Noranda Primary School, Perth College, Sacred Heart Primary School, the Saint Columbas Primary School, St Paul's Primary School, St Peter's Primary School, Weld Square Primary School, Morley Senior High School and Mt Lawley Senior High School.

Mr Barnett said the initiative was well-targeted, as two thirds of the more than 2,000 injuries to children between 1988 and 1992 occurred in the school playground.

"Sixty five per cent of these injuries required significant treatment or admission to hospital," he said.

"Often the prevention for the injuries is as simple as wearing appropriate safety equipment when playing school sports.

"Schools are the second most frequent site for child injury, second to the home environment."

Mr Barnett said teachers were constantly aware of the need to supervise students in the school environment to ensure their safety. The ultimate responsibility for safety at school was up to the entire school community, including teachers, students and parents.

"Strategies involved in this program include collecting data on injuries in the school grounds, determining safety strategies to decrease injuries and evaluating these strategies to determine their success," the Minister said.

He said he hoped other school communities would monitor the progress of the Safety Rules OK program in the City of Bayswater and take up the challenge to address injuries in school.

Media contact: Justine Whittome 222 9699