Bike lessons for new kids in Amsterdam
Bike lessons for new kids in Amsterdam
This year, Amsterdam has started the pilot ‘Het Nieuwe Stalen Ros’ (The New Steel Horse) at two primary schools. In this pilot, children who are new in the Netherlands and in Amsterdam and don’t speak Dutch very well yet, get bicycle lessons.
With these lessons, given by Rita Gemerts of Ray-action, the municipality wants to let these children get acquainted with Dutch cycle culture and encourage them to start cycling. They get theory lessons and practice cycling and cycling rules in the schoolyard. When they have gained enough skills, they can request a bike via a student allowance at the Dutch Council for Refugees (Vluchtelingenwerk). When the pilot is finished, the municipality will monitor if the children will keep cycling.
The first lessons in this pilot have been given at primary school Denise in the Nieuw-West (New West) city district. The pupils were very excited about the lessons and thought they were fun and educational. The bicycle lessons at primary school Bijlmerhorst in the Zuidoost (South East) city district have started in May.
Cycling pilots
Research shows that young Amsterdammers sometimes are not familiar with having and using bicycles. The municipality will be starting several pilots to encourage use of the bicycle aimed at young people in the city districts Nieuw-West, Zuidoost en Noord (New West, South East and North).
