Watch: Saudi teacher hosts schoolchildren after bus breaks down
'What I did is a humanitarian duty for any father to do before he could be a teacher'
Cairo: A Saudi man had hosted schoolchildren after their bus had broken down near his house, according to a social media video.
The footage shows the children getting off the bus and heading to the host’s house.
The host turned out to be a schoolteacher in the Saudi province of Al Kharj south east of the capital Riyadh. He recounted his gesture.
“After I left the school at the end of the working day, I saw a school bus stopping in front of my house and there were nearly 50 primary schoolboys,” the teacher Majed Al Enazi, told the Saudi news portal Sabq.
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“I immediately invited them to come to my house to take rest and protect themselves from the blazing sun,” he added. They later went to a nearby mosque to offer prayers. Afterwards, the host phoned the children’s parents to reassure them about their situation. He also enabled the boys to talk to their parents.
“What I did is a humanitarian duty for any father to do before he could be a teacher,” Al Enazi remarked.
He also acknowledged support from some neighbours until a replacement bus was sent to take home some children whose parents did not come to pick them up.
Al Enazi’s gesture drew appreciation from local education authorities. Head of Al Kharj education directorate Abdullah Al Zaydai called the teacher’s act a reflection of “gallantry, lofty morals and the noble mission of a teacher”.
Schools in Saudi Arabia reopened their gates after the end of the summer holiday last week.
In the run-up to the new academic year, Saudi transport authorities outlined rules for driving school buses to ensure students’ safety.
The stipulations set the minimum age of the driver at 25 years, according to the the Transport General authority (TGA).
Drivers of school buses are, moreover, required to hold a driving card, a valid driving licence, a clear police record, attend an accredited first aid course, pass a TGA medical checkup and a professional efficiency test.