Public school buses get safety officers

Abu Dhabi: School buses from public schools must have a safety officer on board to protect junior pupils, a senior official told Gulf News.

"We will make sure that a safety officer will take care of the pupils of [nursery school] and Class 1," Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, director general of Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), said.

He revealed that Adec has decided to emiratise the job of safety officers in public school buses. Al Khaili said the council was surprised to receive such an enthusiastic response from UAE nationals to take up these positions. "In the beginning we were apprehensive as to whether Emiratis would be ready for this job," he said.

The official said 400 Emiratis were appointed as safety officers last year. "Some more Emiratis will be appointed this year," he added.

Abu Dhabi public schools have about 800 air-conditioned school buses, Mohammad Salem Al Daheri, Director of Abu Dhabi Educational Zone (Adez), told Gulf News. He said Adez will also ensure that safety officers are on board to take care of nursery school and Class 1 pupils.

The deaths of two Abu Dhabi pupils who had been left behind in the school bus in April 2008 and May 2009 raised concerns about the safety of children on buses.

Al Daheri earlier said that Adez had issued rules and regulations with regard to the transportation of pupils.

"In general, there must be a conductor in the bus [from all schools], apart from the driver, to take care of the children," he said.

He said the safety and security of the children during transportation is the school's responsibility.