The Western Australian Education Department has taken a firm stance on student safety, implementing a sweeping ban on the use of electric scooters and electric bicycles for children under the age of 16 across all public schools in the state.
New Safety Directive from the Top
The decisive action was ordered by the department's director general, Jay Peckitt, who issued a formal directive to all public school principals. The new rule is clear and uncompromising: students who are under 16 years old are now prohibited from riding, bringing, or storing e-scooters and e-bikes on any public school property. This includes all grounds, buildings, and facilities managed by the schools.
The directive, which was circulated to school leaders, explicitly states that the ban applies regardless of whether the devices are being used for travel to and from school or for any other purpose during the school day. The policy came into immediate effect upon its announcement.
Incident Prompts Immediate Action
This significant policy shift was triggered by a serious incident at a Perth school. The department confirmed that the decision was made following an accident where a student was injured while using an e-scooter on school grounds. While specific details of the incident were not fully disclosed, the severity was enough to prompt a statewide review and the subsequent blanket ban.
A spokesperson for the Education Department emphasised that the primary concern is student welfare. "The safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority," the spokesperson stated. The ban is positioned as a preventative measure, designed to eliminate the risk of similar accidents occurring at other schools across Western Australia.
Implications for Students and Families
The new rule has immediate practical consequences for thousands of students and their families. Many children have adopted e-scooters and e-bikes as a popular mode of transport for their daily commute. The ban means these students must now find alternative ways to get to school.
School principals have been tasked with communicating the new policy to their school communities, including parents and guardians. They are also responsible for enforcing the ban on their premises. The department has indicated that the rule will be strictly upheld to ensure a consistent safety standard statewide.
This move places Western Australia at the forefront of regulatory action on this issue within the school system. It highlights the growing concerns among authorities about the safety risks associated with personal mobility devices, particularly for younger, less experienced riders in crowded environments like school yards and footpaths.
The ban is expected to remain in force indefinitely as the department continues to monitor safety data and the broader regulatory landscape surrounding the use of e-scooters and e-bikes on public paths and roads.
