School trying to make helmets compulsory

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bovlomov
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by bovlomov »

Samuel D wrote:
Samuel D wrote:Someone cheer me up!

bovlomov wrote:Challenging dogma is the last thing schools want to encourage, as mutiny is sure to follow.

You’re not helping.

The good news is that, as with the wearing of a cycle helmet, school attendance is elective.
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meic
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by meic »

For now.

Work is being done towards making both compulsory and many people think that one or both already are!
Yma o Hyd
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bovlomov
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by bovlomov »

meic wrote:For now.

Work is being done towards making both compulsory and many people think that one or both already are!


True. But home education is growing fast, and I don't think they'll ever be able to put that back in the bottle. They may try and control it, but it will be difficult without also restricting the freedom of the rich to educate their children in non-standard ways.

They'll have a better chance with helmets, as that law will cost almost nothing - politically or financially - to pass.
Psamathe
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by Psamathe »

landsurfer wrote:The response from the school;


Dear Mr Whiteside

...Following three RTC’s and a number of complaints from parents about students cycling dangerously on our roads we are implementing the changes to ensure our students are safeguarded. Bicycles can be collected at any time after school by parents if students do not have a helmet but students will not be allowed to cycle off site unless they are safe.

Our new guidance on cycle safety brings us in line with our neighbouring secondary schools.
If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
....

I would hope that when challenged the school can give justifications as to how their decision will "keep students safe". Given how it seems no research to date has conclusively demonstrated that cycle helmets "keep children safe", then I would hope that this school has something stronger than anybody is aware of (maybe new research ...).

Because helmets can make injury in an accident worse under some circumstances forcing children to wear helmets based only on a few "slight" RTCs involving only motor vehicles and "neighbouring schools" is beyond negligent.

To my mind, when a parent gets their child a bike they make a number of decisions (e.g. bell/horn, type(s) of lights, helmet, padded knee protectors, etc.) and if the child does not wear a helmet that is a decision the parent has made. So for children not wearing a helmet the school is overriding the parents decision.

If they are making "forcing" decisions contrary to the decisions of the parents then they must have very solid footing and be able to produce that evidence that their compulsion rule will make "children safe".

Ian
Ruadh495
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by Ruadh495 »

"collect at any time after school" , now that has possibilities...

I suspect that this wider than a single school though, given that we've seen identical policy elsewhere and the repeated use of the buzzword "safeguarding". Weren't OFSTEDed recently were they?

If that's the case the school won't back down, they can't. "Safeguarding" is an OFSTED limiting grade, whatever they do their overall OFSTED rating can not be higher than their safeguarding grade. While we think of "safeguarding" as relating to actual abuse, in an educational context it can mean a range of things, including imposing dubious "safety" measures.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by The utility cyclist »

12 child deaths solely down to head injury in England and Wales whilst travelling in a motorvehicle, thats twice the number of total child cycling deaths over the whole of the UK for the same period (2015 IIRC) even if all 6 were solely down to head trauma if schools are insisting on helmets for kids on bikes they must also require them for those being driven if indeed they are interested in safeguarding.
This needs to be taken to county level and force them to backtrack using both facts and heavier handed methods. Clearly this head and others aren't interested in facts nor reasons why children may be at risk of harm from otger modes of travel, nor indeed do they want to recognise the law (grey area my arris).
CUK need to act now before it's too late, this is massively important because in a veey ahort space of time we will hqve compulsion for kids. This is exactly what the World Health Organisation and EU Road Safety Commission want.

This makes me so angry, my aons school used to have a fairly high % of kids cycling to school. 10 years on and it's less than 20% of that. I know because I cycle past the new much smaller bike sheds that are no longer secure nor protected from the elements as the old area qas.
And schools can't see or indeed want to acknowledge the harm they are doing!
Ruadh495
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by Ruadh495 »

Just a thought: I wonder if "cycling dangerously" = "cycling without a helmet". One vocal busybody who "reports" any cyclist in school uniform without a helmet would be enough to push a school into this kind of action.
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by The utility cyclist »

Ruadh495 wrote:Just a thought: I wonder if "cycling dangerously" = "cycling without a helmet". One vocal busybody who "reports" any cyclist in school uniform without a helmet would be enough to push a school into this kind of action.

And yet with multiple reports of dangerous driving/parking schools do bugger all.
Yup, lets make the victims change their behaviour and wear ineffective apparel under threat of punishment. :twisted:
Steady rider
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by Steady rider »

I have sent about 3 sheets of information to the school explaining why the evidence does not justify requiring helmets to be worn.
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by landsurfer »

Steady rider wrote:I have sent about 3 sheets of information to the school explaining why the evidence does not justify requiring helmets to be worn.

And i have passed on the https://timrgill.files.wordpress.com/20 ... ill-05.pdf

I'm not being sexist and it's important we recognise the issue of the risk averse female, RaF.
The only reason the human race has become the 2nd most advanced life form on the planet is the RaF.
While males beat their chests and tried to out do each other in male bravery, and died, the Raf kept the race alive.
In the last 40 years the Raf seems to have drifted into 2 main employment zones, Teaching and Charities.
So we now have a concentration of the RaF in areas where they try to remove risk from life, in schools and organisations like the Scouts etc.
Which is why we end up with helmets for all and Scouts that don't actually go out in the rain ...
Alledgley ...
My mother would not let me go swimming in the sea if it was raining .... really ... guess what she did for a living :roll:
And for all of those females that live on the edge .... have a chat with your sisters please. But not too loud or the race will die out .... :lol:
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
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bovlomov
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by bovlomov »

landsurfer wrote:I'm not being sexist and it's important we recognise the issue of the risk averse female, RaF.

Your thesis has a lot going for it, but aren't many of the schools promoting this nonsense run by male head teachers?
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by Vorpal »

landsurfer wrote:it's important we recognise the issue of the risk averse

FTFY
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landsurfer
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by landsurfer »

bovlomov wrote:
landsurfer wrote:I'm not being sexist and it's important we recognise the issue of the risk averse female, RaF.

Your thesis has a lot going for it, but aren't many of the schools promoting this nonsense run by male head teachers?


Well i don't know .....some more research required i suppose.
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
landsurfer
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by landsurfer »

Vorpal wrote:
landsurfer wrote:it's important we recognise the issue of the risk averse

FTFY


See what your doing here, but slightly missing the point.
My granddaughters primary school banned football at break times as being too violent and dangerous, only i male junior teacher in the school.
My youngest granddaughter was furious ....
The school year groups, formerly named Sparrow hawks, Eagles, etc became Robins, Thrushes et al as the previous bird names where felt to be too aggressive and on and on....
It will be compulsory helmets for cycling next ......
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
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bovlomov
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Re: School trying to make helmets compulsory

Post by bovlomov »

landsurfer wrote:
Vorpal wrote:
landsurfer wrote:it's important we recognise the issue of the risk averse

FTFY


See what your doing here, but slightly missing the point.
My granddaughters primary school banned football at break times as being too violent and dangerous, only i male junior teacher in the school.
My youngest granddaughter was furious ....
The school year groups, formerly named Sparrow hawks, Eagles, etc became Robins, Thrushes et al as the previous bird names where felt to be too aggressive and on and on....
It will be compulsory helmets for cycling next ......

A slightly different angle: More females than males challenge me about not wearing a helmet, but when the males do it they are much more confrontational, being more likely to describe my choice as stupid or idiotic. Most often, the women listen (or pretend to listen) to my point of view, whereas the men often make no attempt to understand. That's generalising though.
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