Parents want pupils dropped off inside schools

Ras Al Khaimah:  Families with children attending private schools have recommended school buses avoid dropping the children at the schools' entrances and go instead inside. But the educational district for the time being is in favour of dropping the pupils outside the premises of the schools as a safer approach.

The families found no reason for dropping the pupils at the entrances of the schools which are mostly located on main streets, and that could endanger their safety.

The families raised the issue with the school managements and the educational zone, but their demand has not been fulfilled.

Parents said that the entrances of the schools are extremely dangerous as many buses get together at the entrances of the schools to drop the pupils off, and needless to mention the dozens of private cars dropping their children at their schools as well.

Parents said that the streets around the schools get jammed at the time the pupils arrive at their schools and that can put their lives in real danger.

Away from congestion

Parents said that it would be safer if the managements of the schools or the educational zone took the decision to have the pupils dropped at the schools' courtyards or spacious areas of the schools and that would also spare the streets the heavy traffic jams.

The educational zone, however, believes that it is safer to keep the bus drivers out of the premises of the schools as moving buses in crowded schools, especially nursery schools can be extremely dangerous and that recent history has shown that movement of buses inside schools caused the deaths of several school pupils.

A senior official said that the zone has carefully studied the possible options and found that the safest one was for the buses and families to drop the school children at the school entrances despite the traffic jams.

Police patrols

The official stressed that following an understanding with the Traffic and Licensing Department, police motorcycles are deployed at the entrances of the schools at the time the pupils arrive to make the situation safer for the pupils, bus drivers, families and school managements.

The official said that the educational zone is still reviewing the case and consulting with the managements of various schools to take the necessary final decision about the issue and implement it permanently.