UAE | Education

Driver shortage leaves Sharjah children stranded

Parents of 140 pupils have been outraged by a school's decision to cut transportation services on some routes in the new academic year.

  • By Siham Al NajamiStaff Reporter
  • Published: 23:39 August 27, 2008
  • Gulf News

Sharjah: Parents of 140 pupils have been outraged by a school's decision to cut transportation services on some routes in the new academic year.

Without providing another option, parents of students living in Sharjah were informed just a week before the beginning of the academic year that there will be no bus transportation, as six of their rented buses are without drivers.

Nasser Mohammad Al Shidhani, a parent of two pupils attending the International School of Creative Science in Sharjah, said: "I am angered and depressed by this decision. How can the school do this to us? Both my wife and I work and can't manage to drop or pick up our kids, and I don't have any relatives in the country to assist us. If only they informed me months before the beginning of the academic year I would have looked for a new school. I don't know what to do."

Hala Adel, Public Relations Manager at the school, said: "Parents have every right to feel that way and we support their plea, as we are all facing the same challenge."

She said a circular was recently issued by Sharjah municipality, which stipulated that all schools should have a school label on its buses and that these buses may then only be used by school employees and students.

According to her, the school is not allowed to increase its fees, but the 30 per cent fee increase every three years is not enough to cover transportation costs. The school cannot rent buses with drivers for half a day as they need to put the school logo on the bus, which means the bus can then only be used by students and employees. Renting the service for a full day would add to their expenses.

She also said it costs money and takes time to put the school logo on buses.

"We can't find qualified school drivers. There is a serious lack of drivers and teachers in the country. People prefer to take on any other job as the school salaries are very low," she said.

Rented buses

The school has 36 buses, of which 70 per cent are small-sized vans with 15 seats, and 30 per cent with 27 seats. Six of the buses are rented but they cannot be used at the moment as they don't have drivers or a school logo.

The Ministry of Education denied the existence of a rule that the school logo should be on buses.

The same reply was provided by the Sharjah Education Zone, who added they were aware of the complaint.

"We can't force a school to provide transportation and parents have the options of leaving the school if they want," said Fawzia Gareeb, director of Sharjah Education Zone.

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