St. Andrew High Supports Road Safety Education Thrust

It was shortly after obtaining her driver’s licence that Deputy Head Girl at St. Andrew High School for Girls, Shanelle Muirhead, reached out to the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) to have the school participate in the entity’s Learner Driver Education Programme.

Inspired by her own journey, Shanelle, who is in upper sixth form, wanted to support her peers in learning how to drive and ensure that they are equipped to do so in a responsible way.

“It’s a very important initiative to ensure that the young ladies are well equipped for the future and are independent in carrying out various duties,” Shanelle tells JIS News.

Undertaken through the ITA’s Road Safety Unit (RSU), the Learner Driver Education Programme seeks to inculcate a culture of responsible and safe road use among students who are preparing to get behind the wheel, providing them with a curriculum that they can use as a guide.

Education and Information Officer of the ITA, Dontae Matthews, says the entity jumped at the opportunity to empower the students through road safety education.

“The deputy head girl reached out to us via our social media platform, and I think it was because of seeing other schools that have adopted the programme or have taken the [road code] test on campus to gain their learner’s permit. So, she reached out to see if we could replicate that in their school,” he notes.

Mr. Matthews explains that the programme introduces road and vehicular safety information to students, particularly those who are at the age of eligibility for a learner’s permit.

It covers the Road Safety Act and Regulations, permissible actions on the road, defensive driving theory, drunk driving, among others.

The objective is to not only teach students to drive but to help them recognise the responsibilities that come with operating a vehicle, including adhering to the traffic laws, practising safe driving habits, and respecting other road users.

“We had a presentation on their [St. Andrew High] career day, to entail the road code, road safety and the process to get the learner’s permit and then we also went through the different forms that they need,” Mr. Matthews tells JIS News.

These include a medical certificate, proof of address, and a tax registration number (TRN).

On April 23, a total of 50 lower- and upper-sixth-form students sat the road code test, which is a requirement for being granted a learner’s permit, with 48 students passing.

The two students who did not attain the pass mark will have the opportunity to resit the test.

St. Andrew High School for Girls is the first secondary institution in the Corporate Area and the first all-girls school in Jamaica to participate in the Learner Driver Education Programme.

Shanelle is proud of the achievement but wished more students could have taken the test.

“It was thrown out to all grade-12 and -13 ladies. An issue was that some of the girls didn’t have their documents ready but we had to just move forward,” she tells JIS News.

Principal of St. Andrew High School for Girls, Keiva Ingram, applauds Shanelle’s perseverance.

She plans to sustain the momentum, intending to progress to practical driving lessons, underscoring her belief that driving is a skill every individual should possess.

“Everybody, once you’re eligible you should be able to drive,” Ms. Ingram says.

“Acquiring this skill at a young age promotes independence, mobility, and preparedness for adulthood. However, it’s crucial that this learning process occurs under proper guidance and within the legal framework established by local authorities to ensure safety on the road,” she adds.

Meanwhile, Mr. Matthews tells JIS News that the RSU will continue to take the Learner Driver Education Programme to other institutions, noting that the goal is to explore the possibility of integrating it into the school curriculum.

“We will be continuing our presentations; we will continue assessing the students to get their learner’s permit in school because it makes it convenient for them…,” he says.

Not only are schools responding positively to the initiative but the public is also providing favourable feedback.

“The reception from the public has been good. I read the comments on twitter, Instagram, just social media in general, and persons have been welcoming it, saying that this is something that is needed in all schools… and it’s a good look because children are learning at a young age,” Mr. Matthews adds.

To date, about 11 schools have participated in the initiative, with the others located in St. Ann, Westmoreland, Trelawny, Clarendon and St. Catherine.