Scottish Government

CHILDREN'S ATTITUDES TO SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

APPENDIX TWO CONSULTATION FINDINGS

A90. Results of discussions with a range of stakeholders are reported in detail. Contact was made with those listed in the table below.

A91. Do you think that young people today are more aware of the issues relating to sustainable development than they would have been in the past?

• Yes, but schools don't make best use of what kids know.
• Yes - particularly in terms of biodiversity, recycling.
• May be more aware at primary school level but dumping environmental awareness associated with growing up particularly the move to secondary school.
• Yes, but more aware of issues generally.
• Yes, but schools don't make best use of what kids know.
• Levels of understanding have increased. There has been a huge improvement in levels of understanding.
• They are more aware of their immediate environment and sustainable development, but there are also conflicts e.g. McDonalds lifestyle
• No
• Knowledge of the issues has increased but attitudes and behaviour have not.

A92. How would you describe most young people's level of awareness of sustainable development?

• General awareness but many other factors which are more powerful point in the opposite direction.
• Big problem - the vast majority don't know much/anything.
• They can be confused by terms e.g. sustainable tourism vs. sustainable (meaning long-lasting)
• envolve know from their own surveys that 'Environment and sustainable development' is a big turn off for kids.
• They know about superficial issues - e.g. dog mess and litter.
• Probably better than people think.
• Poor, low
• Low. Primary school pupils are very keen, but it dies off into secondary schools, i.e. there is an attitudinal change. We are not getting messages through via daily activities.
• Most young people have a level of awareness that effects some of what they do.
• Your people are receptive when younger but want to rebel in the early secondary school years and sustainability is a casualty at this stage.

A93. In what ways, e.g. curriculum, government and other campaigns, seeing practical examples in action, whole school initiatives/projects do you think that young people are developing an understanding of the meaning of sustainable development in general? If through the curriculum, which subject areas?

• Primary curriculum is more holistic and therefore conducive to SD education. Secondary is more compartmentalised and cross cutting themes are lost.
• All of the examples are used locally. Patchy results in schools in terms of whole school involvement - it depends on individual teachers.
• All the schools involved with envolve are doing something but it differs in each school.
• Not through curriculum - through news media, nature TV programmes.
• More kids are interested than 10 years ago.

A94. If through the curriculum, which subject areas?

• Citizenship; D&T (environmental designs); Geography, Science; ICT
• NB teachers read the Schemes of Work rather than the National Curriculum. Teachers seem to see the SoW as prescriptive.
• Curriculum; Whole-school initiatives; NGOs - Sustrans, Eco-Schools.
• Geography ; Citizenship; PSHE
• Specific curriculum projects. TV programmes, e.g. Blue Peter, Comic Relief, esp. where there is a high profile celebrity involved
• Not via school. Mainly though parents and TV.

A95. What do you feel is/are the main message(s) that young people are being targeted with?

• Recycling rather than reducing. Biodiversity; tidy up
• Waste and recycling, pollution in general; increasingly transport
• The main messages are not being targeted at young people. Govt campaigns cover young people, but only generally
• Guilt

A96. To what extent do school-based activities reinforce what pupils have been taught or conflict?

• Tackled through Healthy Schools programme.
• Bit of both
• Conflict - staff drive cars but promote conservation of the rainforest. -
• Mostly reinforces what they learn
• There are conflicts, e.g. outsourcing school meals and providing fast food in the canteen. Not using recycled materials and not recycling. Schools need to have specific sustainable policies.
• The link isn't made between curriculum learning and school activities. There are conflicts in place between the two. There is no mechanism to get systems in place to support sustainable schools.

A97. To what extent do home-based activities reinforce what pupils have been taught or conflict?

• Parental influence can conflict with the health ed. strand. NCS are an attempt to involve parents in the learning that is taking place to help reinforce messages learnt in school.
• Kids, especially older ones, are affected through adverts in which cars represent freedom, success, etc.
• Children influence parents

A98. How aware are young people of any conflict?

• They are aware but are often too polite to ask 'why are we doing this?'
• Not very aware unless encouraged.
• Adults don't reinforce positive messages.
• Very - kids are smart
• Yes but difficult to get around

A99. To what extent do you feel that transport is covered within education for sustainable development?

• Not much. envolve have run a training day on school transport planning.
• Most teacher training is done part time.
• Policies: School Travel Plans
• Curriculum: By linking the school travel plans with the curriculum.
• For examples - see the accompanying School Travel Action Plans for Heathmere Primary School (Roehampton) and Eardley Primary School, (Wandsworth)
• Schools don't pick up what pupils know.
• Transport can be covered in any topic. It's down to the personal choice of the teacher.
• Patchy - it's up to the choice of teacher

A100. How are transport issues covered within education? e.g. practical initiatives, curriculum delivery, other

• Increasingly through resources related to initiatives and through the curriculum.
• Road safety education; cycle training; safe routes to school; school transport planning; traffic calming.
• Children get mixed messages

A101. To what extent do you feel links are made with sustainability?

• Could be stronger - depends on personal interest.
• Need to look at sustainability across the board i.e. not just emissions from transport but also economy and society.
• Sometimes - e.g. Teachers Transport Resource Pack by STAR (Schools Traffic and Accident Reduction) resource pack in Bath and North East Somerset which covers road safety, environmental issues and health/fitness. A Scottish example is resource produced by Aberdeen Environmental Education Centre.
• Not enough.
• No.
• Links are increasing all the time. Transport policy were involved in decisions about eco-schools, there is joint working on the co-ordination of activities by the physical education co-ordinator.
• Links are getting better - but not there yet

A102. Are the messages that pupils receive through transport teaching, environmental teaching and social interactions relating to health, safety, etc consistent or are they receiving conflicting messages?

• Children are probably learning about the issues, but they live in a two car family which provides a conflict.
• Not that conflicting within education. Other conflicting messages, such as car culture, esp. in relation to senior pupils.
• The message kids get is 'you're the victim' rather than 'safety by design'
• Children receive conflicting messages from many sources, e.g. car advertisements; advice about personal safety (don't walk through open spaces - risk of mobile phones being stolen); Police locally have advised against walking through Wandsworth Common because of risk to personal safety. Getting a car/passing the test is a rite of passage giving the car a status that is hard to challenge.
• Some are consistent, others are inconsistent.
• Sustainable transport is all about solving conflicts
• A whole school approach is needed not just in one subject.
• Conflicting messages - messages also vary by age group.

A103. What do you understand by the term sustainable transport? How would you define it? What elements would you include? Is this a clear enough policy objective?

• Appropriate transport, bearing in mind the definition of economy, society and environment.
• Limited conflict with heath and environment
• Key issue is resolving conflict between accident reduction and modal shift (especially for young people) which are local authorities' main concerns.
• Sustainable transport is viewed as being green minded, "being green but without wearing sandals". Avoiding using the car for short journeys and trying not to damage the environment more than absolutely necessary.

A104. How important do you feel that it is for young people to develop an understanding of the issues and concepts related to sustainable transport?

• Very important.
• Very important.
• Negative attitudes towards children by bus drivers is a huge problem. At an age when children should be able to benefit from the freedom offered by bus travel, before they can drive but drivers behaviour towards them is very antagonistic.

A105. Why do you think this?

• Influence of parents.
• For long-term improvements.
• Children are quite aware of issues now.
• For behaviour change - to help young people to make informed choices
• We can't continue along current unsustainable travel patterns. Children are being exposed to car dependency. Education needs to take place to allow informed choices to be made.
• Important to help them gain an understanding of the issues
• Health promoting schools encourages pupils to make healthy decisions for themselves by equipping them with the skills to do so. This applies particularly to physical activity and walking where there are particular factors which make it relevant for certain groups in society, i.e. walking is an accessibility activity for most people and is a sociable activity.

A106. Do you think current understanding is sufficient? What are deficiencies?

• There is little evidence of behaviour change from research into any of the initiatives that have been pursued such as awareness raising. Now awareness has been raised the focus will be on more targeted action.
• No. But this is only an impression - there's no data.
• People need to understand more of the how, why and what rather than just specifics. Very confused specific messages are given e.g. "use the bus".
• Quite good at a general level. More information and knowledge needed on specific facts

A107. To what extent do you feel that it is the role of the schools to deliver this understanding?

• Both home and school - campaigns are targeted at adults but expected to have a knock on impact for children.
• Schools can equip kids with skills and knowledge.
• Right to choose
• Since this is Jane's job - she thinks it is a key role.
• Schools need to deliver some consistency across Scotland to help with social change.
• It is schools' role as it's part of lifelong learning. They need to teach young people to make informed choices.
• Should be the role of schools. NCS/HPS approach of curriculum plus whole-school ethos of education as a life skills. Requires additional support of parents.
• Important. Where a school is addressing sustainable transport through SRTS measures, it is important that they take ownership of a STP.
• It is the role of schools, but they're not fulfilling the role. It is the role of schools to educate articulate citizens.
• Everyone has a role to play. Schools have greater opportunities than others. This can be done best through a cross-curricular approach rather than relying on certain subjects, this is obviously easier in primary schools which have greater flexibility to develop cross curricular approaches.
• Police have key role in road safety
• Main inputs of SRTS to primary schools - much less in secondary.
• There is a bit of a tension in policy because a car is a symbol of success and politicians/business people and other people in power or responsibility are very wary of threatening anything that could be seen to be a positive contributor to overcoming social exclusion.
• Schools cannot overcome basic social attitudes.

A108. Who else should be involved, (prompt if necessary with e.g. parents, youth clubs, environmental/transport NGOs etc., transport providers, national government, local government). Do you have any examples?

• There are opportunities through the school estates strategy to link transport environmental issues with the wider environmental agenda.
• Move towards flexible working hours important for society and has impacts on schools.
• Government approach in past has been "here is a problem what can you do about it" moving towards "here is how government can help"
• Local authority can run 'Old bikes' schemes and recycling campaigns.
• Environmental youth work.
• Bus companies.
• Parents - but the way to parents is through children
• Council - through funding for policies, teacher in-service work and for transport curbing measures.
• Links with Health improvement Challenge:
• Scottish Executive Policy - Cross departmental steering Team
• All policy must demonstrate how it benefits health.
• cross departmental team on physical activity
• Focus on outcomes rather than outputs - less tick boxes needed and more issue based approaches.
• Parents need to be involved. This can be done through specific resources where the parents discuss the issues with children. Examples include the travel plan included in Steps to Safety.
• Issues such as this shouldn't be dumped solely on schools. Parents and families are very important.
• Health development workers in supporting HPS, active travel in particular.
• All. Parent training might be needed to help young people to establish good habits. Transport choices need to be provided.

A109. Do you think this is sufficient or would you like to see a greater level of prescription within the curriculum or more guidance through exemplar material, for example.

• A national priority for education is the citizenship indicators and transport can fit in there.
• Against prescription - people do it less then.
• Encourage through reward or through other means.
• 5-14 guidance not particularly helpful since a 3-18 process is needed.
• Emotional, social and physical benefits and links to the community are particularly important.
• There should be a choice for teachers. If you want to steer teachers, provide resources, e.g. schemes of work.
• Level of input through the curriculum varies. Teaching about sustainable transport does need to be delivered through the curriculum.
• Teachers need more guidance and resources linked to curriculum - teachers' knowledge is weak. Teachers are usually car-dependent and not fully aware of issues. Don't make curriculum more prescriptive.
• The opportunities are not sufficient to change behaviour.

A110. The National Guidelines 5-14 for the curriculum in Scotland contain specific references to road safety. Do you think that this will play a part in teaching about sustainable transport? To what extent?

• The two go hand in hand. If we want children to walk to school, then we need to educate them in road safety and educate the parents too.
• Important because parents feel that their children have been equipped with the necessary skills to walk/cycle.
• Important link. If parents feel confident that their children have learnt the appropriate skills they are more likely to let them walk/cycle.

A111. In what other ways can be teachers be encouraged/supported with teaching about sustainable transport?

• Start little then build up.
  Provide free consultation on transport issues.
• Promote energy efficiency
• Recognise that time is short, in more disadvantaged areas, where other priorities prevail e.g. literacy, attainment
• Role models
• 'Putting the magic back into teaching'
• By shifting away from testing to teacher assessment
• The provision of better quality coaches for school travel would help. Privatisation seems to have affected bus quality (i.e. lowered it in terms of school travel)
• (After school) Cycle training in school - part of the Wandsworth LEA initiative.
• Move to cross cutting themes in Education and more flexibility in the curriculum.
• An issue based curriculum
• Staff development in each local authority.

A112. What about links with other programmes and out of classroom initiatives that they might know about? E.g. SRTS, Eco Schools/Active Primary Schools/Sustainable Secondary Schools Programme/Health Promoting Schools?

• Teachers/schools like being part of a bigger scheme, e.g. Schools for Health.
• Eco Schools - works in specific areas.
• Young TransNet website has been successful - a trial survey had 1,000 replies.
• Devon is a good example of what can be done.
• Good examples of work with schools in Leeds; Devon; Herts; Somerset; Bucks; Oxford (virtually all rural LEAs).
• Global Action Plan
• Young TransNet website
• Health promoting schools important
• It is important to dovetail agendas between different initiatives with common themes. The auditing of health needs to include wider meaning of health, e.g. environmental health.
• Other initiatives are vital to provide the whole message. Learning has to be beyond the curriculum.
• STPs need to be recognised through OFSTED or healthy schools accreditation.

A113. To what extent do you feel that learning about sustainable development will help young people to develop their own opinions and attitudes?

• If it's done in the right way.
• Guilt doesn't work.
• Walking bus is far better. Parents have 1/10 the journeys.
• We don't have good figures - no baseline survey but we have a hunch that it works.
• By raising awareness of choices it will help people to develop their own attitudes.
• There is conflict between home and school life in relation to issues such as sustainable development. It is important to work closely with families in order to avoid setting up young people only to fail.

A114. How might learning about sustainable transport change travel behaviour amongst today's young people now?

• If it becomes easier for kids to take action or to make things.
• Has to be valuable to learn about the issues, even if it doesn't change behaviour now.
• parts of the jigsaw need to come together. YP are designed to be active and are open to new ideas. They need to learn these before their attitudes become entrenched.
• Behaviour change won't happen without the learning - other mechanisms also need to be in place though.

A115. Today's young people/ adults in the future?

• Make it easy, they'll do it
• Perspective of education is what children need to learn - difficult to manage change within this.
• Need to start from where we are and work educational change within overall societal change.
• Children get inconsistent messages at a local level.
• As above, but needs to be supported by necessary infrastructure.

A116. What other factors do you feel are currently playing a major role in young people's transport choices? What is policy "up against". How can these factors be harnessed and directed towards sustainable transport.

• Planning, design, employment, pro-tourism.
• Make it easy.
• Air quality is a factor in influencing behaviour.
• Safety; Advertising (of cars); Council's reputation for being pro-car;
• Other policies; culture; consumerism .
• With current trends and action social groups A and B generally only walk recreationally.
• Society is still coming to terms with choice. People used to have many fewer choices. Merging health education policy with choice means giving people better feedback on the impacts of their choices so that they can make better decisions.
• Image and culture are the big issues for young people.
• People will only change behaviour if they see personal benefits.
• Car lobby. Image of car - independence and personal freedom
• Peer pressure.
• Time constraints - parents and pupils. Lifestyles have developed which are car-dependent. Safety concerns - road and personal. Issues need to be addressed at a local level through STPs.
• Street credibility. Concern about theft/damage to bikes. Image.
• Peer group pressure, particularly amongst secondary school pupils
• To be effective we need much more individualised marketing.

A117. What, if any, changes do you feel need to be made to ensure that young people are able to develop their own attitudes towards sustainable development, and transport in particular?

• Informal sector.
• Planning linking houses to jobs.
• Factors that are working best are:
• people outside executive are inspired to deliver
• voluntary sector role is crucial
• Working worst are:
• Fear of accountability within policy area, silo mentality
• Government agendas are linked to statutory responsibilities
• Young people need to be aware of the options, e.g. knowledge of suitable routes, timetables. Find out what they think of their local environment and address these issues, e.g. if young people don't like underpasses they won't use them.
• Educate parents over a period of time through school newsletters into the issues relating to car-dependent children.
• In an ideal world there will be sustainable schools - waste, energy, transport. Part of the culture of schools.
• Rather than the television advertising for learn to let go much more use will be made of radio in the future. Radio is more local and local policy issues can be targeted at local needs.

A118. A Selection of Other Points Raised

• Conceptions and experiences of travel (its modes, spatiality and purposes, etc.) may play a role in constructing what is possible in understanding sustainable transport - a potential area for further research.
• Joined up government is the main challenge - there is a need for more integrated policy appraisal tools, a checklist is being developed - transport remains a problem area.
• Opportunity of new treasury green book.
• Spending review includes review of how funding has contributed to sustainable development.
• Development of biodiversity strategy shows good practice - not just about the problems but making it real for people - bringing it to their own streets.
• ECO schools and the importance of avoiding duplication. Link with community based initiatives such as ECO congregations where churches are working with children on SD issues.
• Overcoming silo mentality the key. Education not considering travel aspects of school - only consider issues on school grounds.
• Transport and travel skills should be seen as essential lifeskills.
• Different ways exist to encourage ('bribe') teachers, e.g. through funding for half-day cover for writing school travel plans.
• Link to existing initiatives.
• There are many links between active travel and sustainable travel, the potential has not been exploited as it is not high enough up on the agenda. SD is going up on the agenda. Schools recognise that current travel patterns on the journey to school are not sustainable.
• ST is peripheral to what schools are about. Can't rely totally on schools which are already expected to do too much. Parental Responsibility is important.
• Link in with the citizenship agenda. If young people are involved in projects, the projects will be more sustainable - put them at the centre. Use local partnerships to overcome barriers after identifying the barriers locally.
• Listening to children and engaging them in discussion over what is best for them. Involving them in decision-making in a suitable way will help build understanding of issues.