Survey Results of 1,012 Parents and Students Using the Walking School Bus Show 1,001 Are Satisfied
Many Agree It Saves Time for Dual-Income Families and Greatly Contributes to Preventing Crime and Traffic Accidents on Children’s Commute Routes
Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that a satisfaction survey of users of the ‘Walking School Bus,’ which supports the safe commuting of elementary school students, showed that 99% of users were satisfied.
Seongdong-gu conducted a user satisfaction survey for two weeks starting July 8 through each school’s online notification system to efficiently operate the Walking School Bus project. The survey targeted a total of 1,012 people, including 530 parents and 482 students, and the results showed that 1,001 respondents, or 99%, were satisfied.
This represents a 1% increase in satisfaction compared to the previous year’s 98%, and especially among parents, many expressed that the service “saves parents’ preparation time for going to work” by supporting the commuting of children from dual-income families.
Furthermore, many opinions indicated that the Walking School Bus project greatly contributes to preventing crimes and traffic accidents on children’s routes to and from school. In addition, there were many positive responses such as “It is reassuring to be able to check whether the child has gone to and from school through the messenger notification service,” and children also frequently said, “It is enjoyable to commute with friends.”
Currently, Seongdong-gu’s ‘Walking School Bus’ is accompanied by 124 traffic safety instructors across 17 elementary schools and 42 routes, ensuring the safety of 1,200 students in grades 1 to 3 during their commute. During school vacations, 70 instructors at 15 elementary schools are working hard to secure safe commuting routes not only for care classrooms but also for 403 students participating in after-school programs.
As parental interest in the Walking School Bus has grown year by year, reflecting feedback from last year’s satisfaction survey, a pilot operation of the after-school Walking School Bus was conducted for three months starting October 2023. From April 2024, the after-school Walking School Bus will be officially organized to support 237 students at seven schools. Seongdong-gu is making efforts to eliminate gaps in children’s traffic safety care.
Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “Seongdong-gu’s Walking School Bus project is an essential program that fills care gaps and provides satisfaction to parents and students,” adding, “This year, by successfully operating the after-school program regularly, we are running it more solidly. We will continue to strive to reduce the childcare burden on working parents and create a safe commuting environment for children.”
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