As schools across the Yarra Ranges suffer from a shortage of lollipop people, one crossing supervisor has shared the ups and downs of the job.
Yarra Ranges Council has received reports recently of parents and motorists verbally abusing School Crossing Supervisors while they perform their vital role.
Gaby Mathews, who ushers students across Monbulk Road outside Mt Evelyn Primary School, said she is nearing seven years in the role.
“I love the job, especially as I haven’t worked in many years. I do the training of new crossing supervisors as well. Every crossing is different, but I love the kids, love the parents and love the community,” she said.
“I sent my two boys to this school and who would have thought all these years later I’d be the crossing supervisor.”
In the last two years, Ms Mathews has also been nominated for school crossing supervisor of the year.
However, it’s a role that comes with some difficulties as Ms Mathews said a few cars push the boundaries.
“They’ve just got to wait for everyone to cross because it’s very dangerous on the road, and we try to do it as safe as we can but a few people get angry. I tend not to get abused because I just go with the flow, but they get caught eventually, and at the end of the day we aren’t police officers, we can’t tell them what to do,” she said.
“We’ve had quite a few speeding through, my friend this morning almost got hit by a car. She had a stop sign out ready to cross and was on the crossing, but the woman just kept going. People have been abused, spat at and thrown rubbish at. We’re just trying to do this job, this is our workspace and we’re just trying to do the right thing for everyone.”
Mt Evelyn Primary School has two crossings, one of which is guarded by Ms Mathews and the other by her friend Mary, with both doing their best to keep a steady flow of traffic on both Monbulk Raod and Clegg Road.
Ms Mathews said despite it all she adores the job and feels very loved by those who care about her.
“I look forward to when the new preppies come for the new year, they come across with the kinder teachers and we explain that we are important for crossing, who we are and tell them to wait till we go to the middle of the crossing and give two whistles,” she said.
“If it wasn’t for this job I would probably be sat at home doing nothing. I’m very well known to the school and they put a big banner up and I got lots of presents for my 60th birthday, it was very overwhelming. But whenever I have a sick day or am gone for a bit and come back they say ‘We were worried you’d retired!’ But I sat ‘I will never retire. You’ll never lose your favourite crossing lady.’”
