|

British Cycling is urging its 70,000 members and all cyclists to push for cycling to be put in the national curriculum.

The government is currently consulting on the content of the curriculum, presenting British Cycling with an opportunity to call for all children to be given the right to learn how to ride a bike confidently on the road.

Despite British Cycling’s and other organisations like the CTC’s work to deliver Bikeability to schools since 2009, only around half of all children currently have access to some form of cycle training. The training takes young people out on the road to teach them vital life skills about awareness, traffic riding and to get them used to the experience of cycling to school. Non-compulsory Bikeability training replaced ‘cycle proficiency’ tests in 2007 when the initiative was rolled out by the Department for Transport.

The Department for Education is currently consulting on the content of the national curriculum and is inviting responses from stakeholders and the public. The consultation closes on Tuesday 16 April. British Cycling will be responding to the consultation but is urging its members and all cyclists to get involved as well to make a stronger case.

“Cycling is a vital life-skill that all children should have – especially if we want to normalise cycling as an everyday activity that all people can do."

British Cycling Director for Policy and Legal Affairs Martin Gibbs

British Cycling’s Director for Policy and Legal Affairs, Martin Gibbs, said: “Cycling is a vital life-skill that all children should have – especially if we want to normalise cycling as an everyday activity that all people can do.

"Like the ability to swim, cycling is a skill that young people carry with them throughout their adult lives – be that cycling as a sport, a form of transport and a way to keep fit and healthy.

“Bikeability training shouldn’t just be the preserve of children whose schools or local authorities happen to promote cycling - it should be for everyone.

"We’ve taught thousands of young people how to ride bikes and we’ve introduced almost 400,000 young people to competitive cycling since 2009 but there are still millions of children who are missing out on cycling and we want to change that.”

As a registered training provider, British Cycling has delivered Bikeability training to thousands of adults and children since 2009 through schools and summer holiday courses. Over 2,000 young people have participated in Bikeability training with British Cycling since 2009. British Cycling has also trained over 600 Bikeability instructors.

Go-Ride – British Cycling’s youth cycling initiative – has provided 359,000 opportunities for young people to experience coaching and competitive cycling since 2009.

The Department for Education’s consultation can be filled in online here. The relevant section of the consultation is on pages 181 to 183.

British Cycling has come up with some suggested wording that can be pasted in to the relevant section.

Alternatively, sign up below to show your support for our campaign to put cycling in the national curriculum. If you are not a member of British Cycling, please put 0000 into the 'Membership Number' field.