Cameri holds the record for the highest school attendance in Italy: 80 percent of students arrive in the morning by bicycle.

CAMERI MIDDLE SCHOOL

A middle school that has achieved a national record : the highest number of students arriving to class unaccompanied by their parents by car or scooter, but by bicycle . About 80 percent.

We're in the municipality of Cameri , in the province of Novara, and in the morning, as someone commented on this story, the Tadini Comprehensive Institute has the feel of a stage in the Giro d'Italia. Nearly all 260 children enrolled in the third year of middle school arrive by bicycle, punctual for class.

Punctuality, in this case, also depends on a significant incentive provided by the school: the option to park your bike in the garage by 8 a.m., when classes begin. Otherwise, you can park it in the courtyard, where the school is no longer responsible.

ALSO READ: Piedibus: The project to take children to school on foot is taking off across Italy (photos)

CAMERI MIDDLE SCHOOL'S RECORD

The result is that at the Tadini Institute, there have been no reports of vandalism of students' bicycles, let alone thefts. "There's a virtuous mechanism that works, and even many teachers have given up their cars to get to school," explains Principal Francesco Pasciuti.

TO KNOW MORE: In Italy, you can only attend and leave school with your parents. This is true until eighth grade.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE INITIATIVE

Among the side effects of this initiative are two important results, one for the students and the other for the municipal administration. At the Cameri school, active student participation during lessons has increased; on the other hand, those who lead a sedentary lifestyle are more at risk of boredom, fatigue, and lack of energy. As for the municipality, it certainly couldn't stand by and watch the principal's initiative, and so the local bike path has been extended to the school entrance. This is good news not only for the students and teachers at Tadini, but for all the citizens of Cameri.

The project is competing for the 2018 edition of the Non Sprecare Award. To learn more about the competition and participate, go to here!

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( Cover image source: La Stampa )

THE BENEFITS OF BICYCLING:

• Kids on Two Wheels: All the Benefits of Cycling
• The benefits of cycling: it's also good for the soul
• Pedal-powered school buses: children have fun and parents no longer have to take the car (photos and video)
• Cycling holidays: a short guide to cycle tourism. From the crew to the route.
• In Bari, discounts at cinemas and shops and paycheck bonuses for those who choose to commute by bicycle.
• Cycling to work is booming in Italy, but in France there's even a government subsidy.
• Bike to work: Massarosa's project to encourage bicycle use