School transport: Safety tips for your child
Oct 12, 2009
ONCE parents enroll a child in school, they trust that the school will take full responsibility for their youngster, including safety aboard a school van. Unfortunately, the trust may be compromised as the school also subcontracts another party to manage
By vision reporter
ONCE parents enroll a child in school, they trust that the school will take full responsibility for their youngster, including safety aboard a school van. Unfortunately, the trust may be compromised as the school also subcontracts another party to manage the transport.
“That is why driving a school shuttle should not only be about having a driving permit,†says Oscar Ofumbi, the operations manager White Lines Shuttle Services Limited. Ofumbi provides school transport services for Aga khan and RainBow International schools.
“As the first contact, we know who has forgotten her container home, who is anxious about the first day at school and who did not do their homework,†he says. Ofumbi says children are often anxious in the morning. Some cannot wait to meet their peers, while others are battling emotional turmoil as they grow up.
“Once, an eight-year-old girl whose parents were going through a separation. She asked me, “Do you think my step-father loves me like my daddy?’†Ofumbi says.
“It was such a challenge. I monitored her for a while and also talked to her mother. One has to be this friendly,†he says. For many parents, it is about paying transport dues and calling to find out whether the child got home safely.
“What happens between home and school is not their business,†Ofumbi says.
Francis Okodute, a traffic police officer who also operates shuttle services for schools, advices parents to get involved in the transportation of their children.
“Demand to see that what you are paying for. Even if you can’t drive and have no idea about a car, at least you can tell when children have been over loaded,†he adds.
What parents should know
Ensure that children retire to bed early and have enough rest because they report to school early Tell your child that the school provides transport, where they will be picked from home by so and so and ask about their experience Advise the child to behave well on the bus Look out for basic safety indicators on the shuttle when it picks your child. Know the driver, if possible befriend him because he is in charge of your child’s safety. Look at his driving licence, whether he can ably communicate with the child, whether he has children or any problems. Some drivers have been reported to extort money from children in exchange for silence about what could have happened on the shuttleboard Check if there is a bus assistant to supervise and control children’s behaviour on the shuttle. Some schools allow a teacher on board. Befriend the assistant
Check if they have a bus incident form to record use of vulgar language, confrontational behaviour and assault. It should have details that about the incident and action taken by the school. Does your child know the fire exit in the van or how to operate the first aid kit and fire extinguisher in case of an emergency? Check for the sitting arrangement and capacity. Are the children overloaded?
Exchange numbers with the driver. Know where your child gets treatment and inform the school in case your child has health problems Respect time management, especially where it involves collection centres for children like popular stages so that you do not delay others Ask the school to separate toddlers from older children. This prevents interupting their sleep, which can result in hating school.
ONCE parents enroll a child in school, they trust that the school will take full responsibility for their youngster, including safety aboard a school van. Unfortunately, the trust may be compromised as the school also subcontracts another party to manage the transport.
“That is why driving a school shuttle should not only be about having a driving permit,†says Oscar Ofumbi, the operations manager White Lines Shuttle Services Limited. Ofumbi provides school transport services for Aga khan and RainBow International schools.
“As the first contact, we know who has forgotten her container home, who is anxious about the first day at school and who did not do their homework,†he says. Ofumbi says children are often anxious in the morning. Some cannot wait to meet their peers, while others are battling emotional turmoil as they grow up.
“Once, an eight-year-old girl whose parents were going through a separation. She asked me, “Do you think my step-father loves me like my daddy?’†Ofumbi says.
“It was such a challenge. I monitored her for a while and also talked to her mother. One has to be this friendly,†he says. For many parents, it is about paying transport dues and calling to find out whether the child got home safely.
“What happens between home and school is not their business,†Ofumbi says.
Francis Okodute, a traffic police officer who also operates shuttle services for schools, advices parents to get involved in the transportation of their children.
“Demand to see that what you are paying for. Even if you can’t drive and have no idea about a car, at least you can tell when children have been over loaded,†he adds.
What parents should know