UAE | General
Concern over children's safety on Abu Dhabi school buses
Many parents have stopped sending their children to school on the school bus and made alternative arrangements for their travel after child dies on school bus.
- By Binsal Abdul Kaderand Dina El Shammaa, Staff Reporters
- Published: 23:53 June 17, 2008
Abu Dhabi: After my son's death many parents told me they stopped sending their children to school on the school bus and made alternative arrangements for their travel, said Shabin Sreedharan, the father of four-year-old Aatish who died on a school bus.
He spoke to Gulf News on Tuesday after visiting Abu Dhabi Educational Zone (ADEZ) officials who summoned him to explain the action taken against the school for violating the rules on the safety and security of children.
Aatish died on April 24 after being left locked in his school bus for three hours in the morning.
Compensation
"I lost my child and nothing can compensate for my family's suffering," said Sreedharan. "But now I am concerned about the nightmare of thousands of parents who fear about the safety of their school-going children. Many of them told me they have started to make their children go to bed early at night so that they will not sleep on the school bus the next day."
He added he and his wife were contemplating taking legal action to seek compensation.
"The bus driver left Aatish behind on the bus for three hours and found him later in a very serious condition," said a statement issued by the Ministry of Education (MoE) on Monday.
The driver told Gulf News on Tuesday he asked the conductor repeatedly whether all children had got off the bus. He and his transportation company's manager said they were unaware of a MoE rule that a school supervisor has to check the bus to ensure that it is empty.
The Abu Dhabi Education Zone (ADEZ) confirmed the Dh5,000 fine imposed on Merryland Kindergarten (MK) was based on a MoE bylaw regarding school fines.
According to Dr Maryam Al Ali, Director of Commission for Private Schools at the MoE, a school is closed down only if the following two offences have been committed, licensing issues and an inappropriate school building.
Share this article
More from UAE General
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
A Selection of the best Gulf News reader pictures this week
Latest news
- Khalifa orders allocation of plots to UAE nationals
- Abu Dhabi issues traffic safety guidelines for Eid
- Al Qasba celebrates Eid Al Adha with family activities
- Free parking for nine days in the capital
- DEWA opening hours during Eid
- Kuwaiti Emir invites Khalifa to Arab summit
- UAE Haj pilgrims safe and well: official
- Briton loses libel case against newspaper
- Activities lined up for Eid holidays in Dubai parks
- Malaysian woman jailed for forging cards
- Schools mark National Day with shows
- Munching on a health hazard
- Wag a tail
- SAT wiz: Top of the class
- Sharjah housemaid packed off
Community Reports
-
Munching on a health hazard
Residents must be careful about consuming snacks and sandwiches prepared along the roadside as they attract dirt and bacteria
-
Faded signage fails to guide visitors
Reader seeks better upkeep of signboards in green areas
-
Noise pollution must be regulated
Residents are finding it difficult to sleep well at night owing to ongoing construction work
-
Protect our children's health
Dust and dirt from a nearby road are causing problems to those frequenting Al Nasseriya park, Sharjah.
