A DVD and education pack, prompted by the deaths of two Aberdeenshire pupils in separate school bus accidents, has been launched by the North Sea oil and gas operator Talisman Energy (UK) Limited in partnership with Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen councils.
The Bus Stop! pack includes the DVD 1 Second. 1 Life, a booklet with lesson plans for pupils from P1-S6, and other materials to help deliver the safety message.
The DVD includes a poignant film featuring Aberdeenshire mother Carla Oldham (pictured), whose 15-year-old daughter Robyn died when she was hit by a car after getting off a school bus in September 2008. Alexander Milne, 12, died in similar circumstances in the same month.
Aberdeenshire Council initially asked Talisman for assistance in funding high-visibility vests for pupils, but the campaign changed its focus after research showed that pupils from P5 upwards would be unlikely to wear them. Pupils in P1-4 in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire schools will receive a specially-designed Bus Stop! reflective triangle to attach to their jacket or school bag and sign up to a “My Visibility” certificate.
1 Second. 1 Life is designed for P5 upwards and Carla’s Story for P7 upwards. Schools can tap into the resource via a website, which has an electronic version of the teaching pack and a copy of both films.
www.1second1life.co.uk.
