Heatherlands High explaining: Tyron Jeyi, GO GEORGE Community Liaison Officer, explains to a learner at Heatherlands High School how to use the school route map to plan her bus trip to and from school. Hoërskool Heatherlands verduidelik: Tyron Jeyi, GO GEORGE–gemeenskapskakelbeampte, verduidelik aan ‘n leerder by Hoërskool Heatherlands hoe om die skoolroetekaart te gebruik om haar busrit na en van die skool te beplan.
GO GEORGE has embarked on their annual educational campaign in schools to familiarise the younger generation with the bus system and how to best make use of the facility.
A series of school visits and learner engagements at bus stops, focusing mainly on high schools, aims to equip learners with information and rules of carriage to use the service optimally and independently.
Heatherlands questions: The youngsters at Heatherlands High School participated by asking questions about the bus service during engagement with the grade eight learners. The communications team was impressed with their knowledge when tested with some random questions about GO GEORGE.
Primary schools in George are invited to support this local flagship project by incorporating it as part of their existing curriculum about transport. “Our proposal to the schools is that they use GO GEORGE as an example or practical application to complement the theoretical curriculum in subjects such as Technology,” says Morné Lakay, GO GEORGE Manager. “Transport is already a part of the curriculum, and now the learners in George have the added advantage of a local public transport system to study.
“The goal of the GO GEORGE schools programme is to inform learners about the system, educate them about the benefits, and introduce them to transport terminology and concepts such as how to read a map, interpret timetables and plan a trip. If we can create a positive association with public transport at an early stage, we hope to motivate learners to use GO GEORGE as a transport option,” Lakay says.
THEMBALETHU SCHOOLS
The school programme is being expanded this year to include schools in Thembalethu where the bus service was rolled out in November 2023. A visit to the Tyholora Primary School was high on the agenda. Situated adjacent to the GO GEORGE Smart Card kiosk and a bus stop, it became clear that the learners would need to be educated about being safe around the buses on their way to and from school.
The youngsters were excited to meet the dressed-up communication team and mascot Georgie. They sang along heartily while learning more about the scheduled public transport service.
Tyholora Primary: GO GEORGE visited Tyholora Primary School in Thembalethu to educate the learners about pedestrian safety around the buses. Their school is adjacent to a GO GEORGE kiosk and bus stop.
High school learners from Thembalethu who attend schools in George were reached during the Grade 8 outreach at the beginning of the first term, while learners within Thembalethu were also reached at stops nearest to their schools following the launch last year.
School visits will continue after the school holidays. Schools are welcome to request a visit from the GO GEORGE team by phoning the Call Centre on 0800 044 044 or sending an email to info@gogeorge.org.za. Visits will be scheduled according to the team’s capacity, prioritising schools on GO GEORGE routes.
******************************************************************
GO GEORGE GAAN SKOOL TOE
GO GEORGE het hul jaarlikse opvoedkundige veldtog in skole begin om die jonger geslag vertroud te maak met die busstelsel en te leer hoe om die fasiliteit ten beste te benut.
‘n Reeks skoolbesoeke en gesprekke by bushaltes wat hoofsaaklik op hoërskole fokus, het ten doel om leerders toe te rus met inligting en vervoerreëls om die diens optimaal en onafhanklik te gebruik.
Laerskole in George word genooi om hierdie plaaslike vlagskipprojek te ondersteun deur dit as deel van hul bestaande kurrikulum oor vervoer in te sluit.
“Ons voorstel aan die skole is dat hulle GO GEORGE as voorbeeld of praktiese toepassing gebruik om die teoretiese kurrikulum in vakke soos Tegnologie aan te vul,” sê Morné Lakay, GO GEORGE-bestuurder. “Vervoer is reeds deel van die kurrikulum, en nou het die leerders in George die bykomende voordeel van ‘n plaaslike openbare vervoerstelsel om te bestudeer.
“Die doel van die GO GEORGE-skoleprogram is om leerders oor die stelsel in te lig, hulle oor die voordele op te voed en hulle bekend te stel aan vervoer-terminologie en -konsepte soos hoe om ‘n kaart te lees, tydroosters te interpreteer en ‘n rit te beplan. As ons in ‘n vroeë stadium ‘n positiewe verbintenis met openbare vervoer kan skep, hoop ons om leerders te motiveer om GO GEORGE as vervoeropsie te gebruik,” sê Lakay.
THEMBALETHU SKOLE
Die skoolprogram word vanjaar uitgebrei om skole in Thembalethu in te sluit waar die busdiens in November 2023 van stapel gestuur is. ‘n Besoek aan die Laerskool Tyholora was hoog op die agenda. Geleë langs die GO GEORGE Slimkaart kiosk en ‘n bushalte, het dit duidelik geword dat die leerders opgevoed moet word om op pad na en van die skool veilig te wees in die omgewing van die busse. Die jongklomp was opgewonde om die gelukbringer Georgie en die kommunikasiespan in hul kleurvolle uitrustings te ontmoet. Hulle het hartlik saamgesing terwyl hulle meer oor die geskeduleerde openbare vervoerdiens geleer het.
Hoërskoolleerders van Thembalethu wat skole in George bywoon, is aan die begin van die eerste kwartaal tydens die graad 8-uitreik bereik, terwyl leerders in Thembalethu ook ná die bekendstelling verlede jaar by die bushaltes naaste aan hul skole bereik is.
Skoolbesoeke sal ná die skoolvakansie voortgaan. Skole is welkom om ‘n besoek van die GO GEORGE-span aan te vra deur die inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044 te skakel of ‘n e-pos aan info@gogeorge.org.za te stuur. Besoeke sal volgens die span se kapasiteit geskeduleer word en skole op GO GEORGE-roetes prioritiseer.
