The students of Ballygar National School are keeping pedestrians safe on the roads as the winners of Galway’s Junior School Wardens competition.
This year celebrates the 50th anniversary since the inception of the Junior School Wardens Scheme in 1969.
Since it began the School Warden Scheme has proven a highly successful road safety project, with school children ensuring the safe crossing of all pupils to and from their schools each day.
The Junior School Wardens competition took place at Presentation College, Tuam on Tuesday with four schools competing: Presentation Primary School, Tuam, Ballygar National School, Scoil Náisiúnta Naomh Pádraig, Moylough and St. Mary’s National School, Mountbellew.
This is a collaborative project that involves many groups in the community working together to make road safer for young people going to and from school.
There’s the young wardens themselves, the parents, the teachers, the local Gardai who train the pupils, Galway Co. Council’s Road Safety Officer who co-ordinates the scheme and the Road Safety Authority who co-fund the scheme.
In 50 years there has not been a single incident involving the scheme according to Galway County Council, a safety record that’s second to none.
