Each day, a number of children rise as early as 4.30 to get to school on time. PREETI KANNAN travels on a school bus from Sharjah to Dubai, only to discover this is no joyride
It is dark, cold and windy at 4.45am when bus drivers arrive on the Cambridge International School’s premises and the buses part ways to pick up students from Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.
“It is so early and the traffic has already begun to swell. It is going to be a tough ride back to school, especially in the rain,” observes our driver Tahir Gul, eyeing the stream of cars piling up on the Ittihad Road to Dubai on Sunday morning, even as a sudden heavy drizzle catches motorists unaware.
The ride to Sharjah is quick and smooth since roads are clear, but the road back tells a different story.
Huddled together in the chill, rain-coated children and parents wait in the dark in several corners as the bus makes its way through the wet by lanes of Sharjah. Groggy-eyed, young faces with drooping shoulders wait listlessly at their stops for the bus to pick them up. A couple of eleventh graders are the first to board the bus, choosing the back seats for some warmth.
Dragging their feet and heavier school bags, the bus slowly fills up with students as young as four and as old as 15.
Four centuries later, William Shakespeare’s famous lines from As You Like It –“The whining school-boy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail, unwillingly to school,” still holds true.
Helping the smaller kids in to their seats, bus conductor, Mohammed Shabir, ensures they have all buckled themselves, despite protests to do otherwise.
“I wake up by 4.30 am to get ready for school since I am the oldest sibling,” quips Sarah Harith, an Iraqi student, rather enthusiastically. “I live in Sharjah and the only way I will make it on time to school is by waking up really early,” says Harith, seated comfortably with her friends.
“I really hate waking up at this hour. Some days, I am so tired that it takes a lot of effort to get out of bed. It could be the traffic or even because I studied the whole day that waking up becomes harder,” says Zahraa Haider, a Canadian student, adding, “All of us hate Sundays but love Thursdays. On weekends, we simply hibernate and wake up only by 2 or 3 in the afternoon.”
Ayesha Anas, a fourth grader, observes that the darkness compounds the morning woes. “It is always dark when we board the bus; besides, it’s cold every morning,” she says, sighing that the onset of winter could only make the task harder.
Some students concede that rising this early makes them sleepy and they do occasionally nod off during classes.
Several stops and more pick-ups later, driver Tahir gears himself to face the traffic, which is inching slowly towards Dubai. Inside the bus, the chatter slowly dies down as students, mostly older, turn to Ipods for some relief, to get through the traffic. Some even cram in homework and other lessons. Mostly, they catch up on their lost sleep during the over two-hour ride.
Students aren’t the only early birds sitting through the gruelling trip to school since faculty, who reside in Sharjah, face the same predicament. “The irritation levels of teachers increase sometimes because of lesser sleeping hours,” notes Bilal Zaidi, a Math, Economics and Business Studies teacher at the school, adding, “Students are also under tremendous stress and become less attentive in class. Perhaps in junior classes, students do fall asleep during school. However, whenever I ask students the reason behind their exhaustion, they attribute it mostly to their late sleeping habits.”
Zaidi says exertion aggravates the problem as students become less attentive to lessons.
Hailing from Pakistan, he says he couldn’t believe it earlier when his sister, a resident of Sharjah, used to tell him they have to begin their day at an untimely hour. “Now, I am used to it and I listen to old Hindi songs on the bus. I have my laptop to keep me company too,” he remarks.
After manoeuvring through the rain, the countless cars and congested roads, the bus finally arrives at school a little after 7.25. With half an hour o go for the bell, students hang around, catch up with friends and even indulge a little in sports before they begin the actual part of their day.
They head back by about 2 in the afternoon and this time the ride back home is relatively shorter and faster, reaching in less than an hour. Once they are back, the agenda is to eat, do some homework and almost always catch a nap, watch and probably even play.
Many say they go to bed very early because of fatigue and mostly to begin yet another school day.
If Only I had Wings...
>Adham Ahmed Rashwan, a 12-year-old Egyptian student at the Cambridge International School, says he sometimes wishes there were secret buttons he could press and they could fly over the traffic to school.
“Or, it would be nicer if a helicopter took me to school,” he says.
The Grade VII student, who dotes on football, wakes up by 5 to catch his 5.40 school bus every day. Like most children, he detests the morning routine that includes waking up to school.
“I sometimes feel I am not ready to go to school. But once I am on the bus, I listen to my Ipod and even go to sleep. One day I fell asleep nearly three times in one of my classes, though for just a few minutes,” he says, while attributing it to exhaustion.
A sports buff, Adham says, “I do not mind staying back after school to play football since I love the game.” Home by usually 3pm, he finishes lunch and sometimes heads for an afternoon siesta, before studying.
Adham’s parents concede the early start does tire their son. “Definitely, he gets exhausted, especially since the children have to wake up at least three hours before school. However, playing some sports like basketball or football before the start of school gets them excited,” says Ahmed Hamdi, his father. “We do feel bad for the children. After any vacation, it is even harder for them to get up in the mornings,” he adds.
“My concern is he cannot sleep early because he has to do his homework. He is also learning Karate and has to practise regularly. I usually come back late from work and he stays awake to see me. That is very tough for me. It hurts me every day when I wake him so early,” says Salwa Elmeniawy, his mother.
Adham, when studying in Egypt, used to leave home by 7am to reach his school at 8.
However, the family’s lifestyle has undergone a drastic change in schedule since they moved to the UAE. His mother adds that she often notices her son looking very tired.
Schools Should Start at 9, Says Expert
Experts concede that the long ride and early mornings are bound to take a toll on a child’s health and development. From waning attention spans to improper nutrition, the repercussions are manifold, they warn.
“Children become less attentive in class and if they do not sleep early, that will also affect them,” says Dr Saeed, Group Medical Director for Dr Moopen’s Group.
“Children should be sent to schools closest to their home. Since that its not possible in this part of the world, sleeping as early as 8 is ideal. Early to bed and early to rise should be the norm. Parents should also ensure children have a balanced diet with proteins, carbohydrates and fat,” he added.
Dr. Onita Nakra, a Dubai-based educational psychologist, observes that no matter how old a child is, being stuck inside a vehicle is no fun. “A youngster needs to enjoy some time playing in the fresh air but children in Dubai rarely get to breathe oxygen. They move from the school bus to the babysitter to the house,” she adds.
“The effects of a long commute on young children are negative and accumulative. It takes a heavy physical toll on children and this is seen in their lack of concentration and attention in the classrooms,” says Nakra.
The solution, Nakra believes, could be in changing school timings. “Schools need to seriously consider changing their timing to 9a.m. There is a lot of research that shows that children who get at least 8-10 hours of sleep at night perform better. Parents also should look for schools in their immediate neighbourhood,” she says, adding that in most countries the concept of neighbourhood schools allows children to walk to school.
“Dubai should have adhered to this model, instead of insisting schools should be relocated far from residential areas. Every residential development should have its own school. The school could then function as a community centre where children can stay back to engage in after school activities. Written petitions to the government may help to bring about some of these changes but the future looks bleak,” observes the psychologist.