Not everyone is chirpy about early bird school timings

Not everyone is chirpy about early bird school timings
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: While the government insists that schools hire BMTC buses to ferry students, parents and school authorities fear the safety of their wards as they consider the public sector monopoly a risk.

The pick up and drop points, which are quite a distance away from the school or from the house, puts the child’s safety at stake say parents.

‘‘I am ready to send my child even by a private van or autorickshaw, but never in a BMTC bus,’’ says Sharmila Raghunath, mother of a six-year-old.

Its just not parents, school managements also share the same view. T. Balakrishna, principal, St. Anne’s School says, ‘‘Who will take the responsibility of the child from the bus stop to the school and then back home. What if the child meets with an accident on that short distance.’

Shivagami, a parent says that she cannot expect conductors to be very responsible. Ivy D’souza and Jagadeesh feel that the BMTC buses will keep up to their notoriety by either coming early or late.

Besides this, the new timings of 8.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., will affect the children’s food habits and health, feel many parents. If the child has to leave home at 7.30 a.m., he has to get up by 6 a.m., and the parent at 5 a.m. Most children may then skip breakfast, says D. Jagadeesh.

‘‘The most hit are the working parents, who will have to prepare lunch in the morning itself,’’ says Balakrishna. Till now the children used to spend the whole day at school. Now there is a problem of finding a place for the child after school.

‘‘Many may resort to tuition classes or crèches, which is an added expenditure,’’ he says. Moreover BMTC buses will not drop and pick the children from these places.

The previous timings were convenient for those who dropped their children on their way to office. ‘‘Now the parents will have a tough time,’’ he added.

But John Zachariah, principal, Cathedral High School, feels that the parents can be convinced.

‘‘They have to be taken into confidence that the new rule is for the betterment of the city,’’ he says. ‘‘The parents need to make appropriate arrangements,’’ he says.

The children’s security is paramount; locations of the pick up and drop zones, have to be looked into, he adds. He plans to give questionnaires to the parents and seek their opinion on the use of BMTC buses.

Since Cathedral School anyway begins at 8.40 a.m, a shift of 10 minutes will not make difference, he says