UAE: 4-year-old child left on school bus, parents say, ‘lucky to have our child alive’
Parents Say Their Daughter Was Left Behind on School Bus After Falling Asleep; Incident Highlights Need for Improved Safety Protocols
4-Year-Old Girl Forgotten on School Bus in UAE, Parents Withdraw Child from School
NEW DELHI: A 4-year-old girl student boarded the bus but couldn’t reach the classroom as the school staff forgot to drop her off
According to the child’s parents, the girl boarded the bus around 6 am and fell asleep, which led to the staff forgetting to drop her off at school. The bus conductor discovered her crying during the second trip taken by the bus for boys.
Recalling the incident, the child’s mother shared the distressing details: “It has been a few days since she started going to KG1. She wakes up at 5 am, and the bus comes at 6 am. She reaches the school by 6:35 am. Children who wake up this early may fall asleep. So, I make it a point to remind the conductor to take care of her.”
On the day of the incident, the child boarded the school bus around 6 am but didn’t reach her classroom on time, the mother said. “At 7:30 am, the conductor called to inform me that my child fell asleep, was left behind in the bus, and couldn’t reach the classroom. I told him to immediately drop her home, but he didn’t. It was only when I called her teacher that she came to know about the incident.”
The mother further stated that her daughter banged her head against the front seat, which caused her to wake up and realize there were all the big students, i.e., boys and senior students of the second trip. It was only when she started crying that the conductor realized she was left inside. After the incident, her parents took her to the hospital for a check-up.
The mother claimed that the staff played it down as a minor incident, saying she dozed off inside the bus, reported The Khaleej Times. She expressed her deep concern and frustration, pointing out the potential dangers: “What if another bus was operated for the second trip? They would have known only by noon during the return trip. We have heard so many unfortunate incidents,” she said, referencing other tragic cases like the recent demise of a seven-year-old boy after being left inside a car, and other similar incidents of children suffocating to death.
For now, the family has withdrawn the child from the school and complained to the local authorities (Child and Family Protection – Social Services Department), the mother said. She added that her child will not go to school this year and will opt for online education. “We are lucky to get our child alive. I pray no other parents and child undergo such a miserable situation,” the mother underlined.
This incident has highlighted the need for stricter safety protocols and increased vigilance by school staff to ensure the well-being of young students. The parents’ decision to withdraw their child and opt for online education reflects their loss of trust in the school’s ability to safeguard their daughter. They have called for more robust measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future, emphasizing the critical importance of constant supervision and accountability when it comes to the safety of children.
The broader community and education authorities have been urged to take this incident as a serious warning. Implementing comprehensive checks and ensuring that all school transportation staff are adequately trained to manage and monitor the children in their care is essential. The school, while expressing regret over the incident, must now work on rebuilding trust and ensuring that such lapses do not happen again.
