Bahrain schools tighten bus safety after tragic death of a boy in Saudi Arabia

TDT | Manama              

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Zahra Ayaz  

Schools in Bahrain have thoroughly reviewed the safety standards of the school buses following the death of a five-year-old student who left inside a school bus in the Qatif governorate of Saudi Arabia.

The child, Hassan Hashim Al Shoala, died after being forgotten in a bus that was supposed to take him to Al Nakheel Kindergarten on Sunday.

Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the tragedy. The spokesman for Eastern Province Education in Saudi Arabia explained that the incident occurred when the driver forgot to check the bus to ensure no students were left inside.

The schools in Bahrain are on great alert following the recent tragedies in Saudi and Qatar. Speaking to The Daily Tribune, K Gopinath Menon, Principal of The New Indian School, said: “It is our responsibility to ensure the safe return of the child.

“We have given instructions to teachers and bus drivers, and they are in charge of ensuring that no students are left in the backseats of school buses and that bus driver physically examine the bus before they leave.”

‘Ensure kids a decent sleep’

Mr. Menon emphasized that most schools begin at 6 am, and students tend to sleep late and get up early; they choose to sleep on the bus as some students travel long distances.

“Parents should also take the initiative to ensure that the children get a decent night’s sleep and are fresh in the morning. “Parents should have faith in school management and communicate directly with management if they have any transportation-related concerns; frequently, when buses are late or for other reasons, parents become combative with the bus drivers,” he added.

Another representative of a prominent school in the Kingdom, who doesn’t want to be named, said: “We are taking adequate measures to ensure that the children are safe inside the school bus. “School bus drivers and other related staff are given strict instructions to give special attention towards the students while they are transported to and back from the school.”

‘Bus driver should check all seats’

Meanwhile, an anxious parent told The Daily Tribune that the death of a five-year-old Saudi child had sent shockwaves to all parents whose children board school buses daily.

“The bus driver should check all seats after delivering children to ensure that no one is inside the bus. “ Schools should set minimum standards like proper seating and airconditioning in all the buses as an essential criterion.

“ Some buses are not air-conditioned, or there is a fault in the air conditioning, and in the Kingdom’s hot and humid weather, the children reach their homes soaked in sweat,” the source added.