Each day, children travel to and from school with parents dropping them off in the morning and pick-ups after school, creating congestion at the gates, making it the most dangerous location on a child’s journey to and from school.
Laerskool Ermelo, just like many other schools, have placed their trust and responsibility on their scholar patrols to ensure that fellow-pupils cross the streets safely.
Lethabo Rakgoale (head-girl), Mbuso Malinga (prefect), Anelisiwe Manana (prefect) and Loyiso Nkosi (prefect) are among other scholar patrols at the school performing a very important and responsible public service by controlling traffic and safeguarding scholars from entering traffic when its unsafe. This is done under a teacher’s supervision.
The Laerskool Ermelo quartet said they enjoy every moment of the 20 minutes in the morning and afternoon that they spend making sure that no pupils are run over.
One of the teachers, Ms Claudia Lutheran, explained that scholar patrol is all about making sure children arrive at school safely, especially the young ones who would ordinarily just cross the road and at times run into traffic when they are not accompanied by elders.
She said most of the time they choose prefects and other learners with leadership qualities, usually from the Grade sevens.
The patrolling pupils say not all motorists are cooperative, as some of them speed and ignore their whistle for them to stop, but it’s very rare that this happens.
