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Accidents involving school kids set alarm bells ringing

Ashok Kumar from the Indian High School insists that it is the moral responsibility of every school to take precautions and curb such incidents.

"Every head of an institute should take the initiative to draft some precautions and importantly ensure that they are implemented. In our school, we ensure that no private or delivery vehicle enters during school hours. It is an unwritten law that a school needs to take care of the well being of its pupils," he says.

Jeff Wornstaff, principal of Dubai American Academy, feels it is imperative for schools to have teachers supervise kids when they are in the portals of the school. "We need to make sure children are in a secure environment. We have duty supervision for teachers and certified educators escort children to their classes. This should be done in all schools," he asserts, adding that it is also necessary that school buses are not overloaded.

Says Indian parent Vijayalakshmi Murali, "I feel worried when I drop off my children at school because we hear of so many freak accidents. Life is precious and everyone has to be extremely careful. It is extremely sad that children are being run over for no fault of theirs."

Another parent Asma Shariff also opines that vehicle-free zones are a necessity as there is too much chaos before a school starts or finishes with a number of cars, parents and children trying to head for their destination.

She also adds, "I instruct the bus driver to help my children cross the road and drop them off at our doorstep. This should be made compulsory for all schools even if it's a little time consuming."

• UAE