School tragedy
IT WAS a shocking news that a KG student lost his life in Abu Dhabi. Though everybody is accusing the school, parents and transport for their negligence, I am sure that none of them had done it purposefully — it is, of course, negligence. It was an unfortunate incident. But what made me write this letter after a comment “School tragedy” by an unknown reader which was purposefully to criticise the school was unacceptable. As the parent of a child studying in that school we are confident about the teaching, learning and co-curricular activities of the school.
I think the person had some bad experience or opinion about the school either direct or indirect or he has no idea about the school. I don’t think any school other than this particular school gives extra knowledge apart from the curriculum. Leaving the children independent in their own way is the choice of the parents. Those who do not give important to curriculum studies have a good choice of other schools. The idea of the writer was to portray the school badly rather than sympathise the tragic death of the child.
— Name with held on request
Why tuitions?
MY CONDOLENCES to the bereaved family of the child who died the other day in the school bus. Actually, the letter was written earlier before the entire truth came out subsequently. But it was published later. Initially there was feedback from parents that the boy was suffering from a ‘rare disease’ and the cause was the lack of responsibility. I sincerely apologise here for the mistake.
But my opinion on the school management doesn’t change, in any way. In spite of all their ‘very effective teaching’ with all the gruelling schedules and no activities, we are seeing most of the kids there going for tuition. Why is the school run still in a villa as against the law? I pulled out my kids from there, yet they didn’t go for tuition while finishing studies in another well-known school. There is no all-round progress or to boost that enviroment there at all.
— Name with held on request
Negligence
THIS is with reference to the letter ‘School tragedy’ (KT, 30 April). How could you publish such a letter from an ignorant person who did not even bother to check the truth and straightaway went on to blame the parents for the tragedy? How could the parents know that their child was trapped inside the bus struggling for his life while he should have been sitting inside the classroom? And we should not forget the fact that the whole incident took place during the school hours and the child was found in the afternoon before the driver started the return trip. The school management is to be blamed for not appointing a maid/caretaker to see that the students are safely taken to the classrooms from the bus. They cannot wash their hands off the responsibility.
It is highly irresponsible on the part of Khaleej Times to have published such nonsense from an extremely vindictive writer. Can you even imagine what sort of pain the parents would be undergoing for losing their only child due to the negligence of the attendant and school administration? My sincere condolences to the child’s family.
— N Sha, Abu Dhabi
No facilities
IT IS true that this school runs in a villa. There are absolutely no facilities, yet how could the educational authorities allow them to go unpunished? We have read that the ministry had long ago ordered all the schools to move out of the villas. How did this school continue to run for so many years? There are no activities, no playground and the only thing children do is study in a very straitjacket manner. Most of the Indian children go for tuition and all children of this school go for tuitions, too. So, what is the use of only studies? Other schools combine enough activities and facilities for much lesser fees. Authorities must now ask the parents to come up with their requests openly and order the school to provide facilities. Parents were not responsible for the child’s death. But the reports in the papers were not clear either. And we all thought earlier that the child did not reach home at proper time.
— Name withheld on request