The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Friday, April 21, 1967 — Heads of schools in Bulawayo have described the decision of the Bulawayo and District Road Safety Association to close two traffic training centres as “tragic,” “disappointing” and “regrettable.’’

The Hillside Junior School council has issued a circular to parents and influential people in which a plea is made for the Government to assist financially in running the centres.

Yesterday a number of children handed over small amounts from their pocket money to the instructor at the North Park Traffic Training Centre, Mr Fred Fanning.

The y asked that it be sent to the Road Safety Association, which announced this week that the centres will close on June 1 because of insufficient funds.

The two centres have been costing about £1 500 a year to run and have given road safety instruction to about 20 000 school children a year. More than 33 letters were sent to industry and commerce in Bulawayo, but only £50 replies were received, with contributions totalling £200.

Mr J E Cook of Baines School said he was “most disappointed” over the news. The Regional Education Officer, Mr H Pegg, said yesterday that he regretted the impending closure of the centres. “They were extremely useful and probably saved a great many lives.” He declined to comment on what measures the Ministry of Education might take to keep them open, but said “we are not resting.”

Mr K Barker, headmaster of Hillside Junior School, said that about 20 pupils from his school attended classes at the traffic training centre every week. His parent-teacher association had sent a gift to the Road Safety Association, but there had only been a fair response” from parents who were asked by the PTA to send annual subscriptions.