How do they get to school?
Mmaotho Segotso | Friday December 25, 2020 08:08
This is because in Botswana, as in many parts of the world, schools are a long way from home.
Elsewhere in the world transporting children to school forms part of the government education budget. In the United States, purpose-built school buses are the primary means of student transport, almost always provided without charge to families, a phenomenon they have dubbed bussing.
The US government gives states, which have many disadvantaged communities in which schools are far, more money to cater for transport. Many factors contribute to the choice of student transport in urban areas. These include the distance between home and school, car ownership, the increasing number of working mothers, urban form, and complex family schedules. At the back of beyond, however, children are compelled mainly by poverty, and the government’s failure to bring education to the citizenry, to walk great distances in pursuit of education.
These children face the dangers of rape, kidnapping, and murder amongst others. There are still unsolved cases of children who went missing on the way to or from school. Seeing as most schools do not have the luxury of in-house school buses to transport learners to and from school, parents are looking for alternative options for their children to travel safely and efficiently. There are a variety of important tips for choosing school transport to consider when you are selecting school transportation for your children. Safety and reliability are two of the top priorities. You can reduce your stress and anxiety by finding trustworthy transportation for the children knowing they are safe and in good hands. Tips for choosing school transport for your children
• Does the driver have a valid permit?
• Is the transport provider approved by the school?
• Get a list of pupils’ names that travel in the lift club
• Get contact details for the other children’s parents
• Get a detailed route for the pick-up and drop-offs
• An estimated travel time for the route
• Is the vehicle in roadworthy condition?
• Does the vehicle have a seat allocated to each child and can they be strapped in?
• Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded
• Make sure to find out where exactly the children will be dropped off and picked up Getting transport to take children to school works for career parents who in most cases work odd hours and who do not have flexi hours for a pick and drop. However, some things are terribly wrong with some taxis, buses and combis. There are cases of children who have been raped by people who were supposed to be transporting them to school. It thus is important to do your own research about the integrity of the driver. Most parents get a number off a notice board, pay up and that’s it! It is also important to establish if your child gets dropped last. In cases where children get raped by the taxi or combi driver, it is the child who gets dropped last. The driver ensures the child is isolated. It is also important to if you work, ask the nanny to check the child’s panties, if she finds you home, check. If she refuses to let you that is a red flag right there! For secondary school children, combis are a place where all sort of misdemeanour start: From alcohol to drugs, sex and even group sex. It is safer to opt for combis driven by women or elderly men, though it's not a given that your child will be safe. Due to all these problems, most parents opt for pick and drop, which in my view is the safest option. Although teens resist it and forcing it on them can cause them to rebel. When is it okay to drop your child at the school gate? Here are six things to consider when deciding if your child is ready to be dropped at the school gate:
1. Does the school have a 'stop-drop-go' option within the campus? These allow for students to be dropped off by parents within the school grounds so that navigating streets, gates or other potential hazards are not a factor.
2. How confident and capable is your child with the classroom requirements for the start of the day? Are they able to put their water bottles, lunches, folders and school bags... in the right places unassisted?
3. How confident is your child with finding their classroom by themselves? Is it a long way for them to walk in the time they have without getting distracted or even lost?
4. Is your child happy to wave goodbye to you in the car? Separation anxiety is a reality for a lot of children and this will have a major impact on your child’s ability and/or willingness to be dropped off.
5. Can your child be escorted by older siblings or friends? Often younger children love the chance to walk in with their older brothers and sisters. 6. How early will you need to drop them to be able to meet your other commitments and is the school prepared for children to be dropped unaccompanied?
7. Does the school call you if your child doesn’t arrive at school for any reason without a phone call from you. For many schools, there is no such process in place and not knowing if they arrived safely until the end of the day may not be worth the worry. Find out. Safety for Parents Dropping Their Kids at School: Robin McClure 1. Get familiar with school drop-off and pick-up practices If the curb says 'No stopping, standing or parking at any time,' that means for everyone. Look for where the school bus stops and stay clear of that path. If children are required to use designated crosswalks, don't walk your child across the middle of a street. If an area is designated for teacher parking only, then don't grab space to drop off your child.
2. Discuss and practice safety rules with children If possible, take your child to the drop-off area and 'practice' the procedure at an off-peak time. Walk him through what to look for, what to do, and what not to do. If crossing guards are utilised, explain their purpose and how they must wait for approval to cross. Familiarity and then repetition are the best guidelines for ensuring child safety all school year long.
3. Don't break safety rules because you're late Whipping your car around, getting your child to dash out of the car to reach the classroom before the school bell rings, or encouraging a 'drop-and-dash' drop-off is the recipe for disaster in terms of child safety. You would rather your child receive a tardy notice than to be in an accident. Also, don't use your cell phone in a school zone. It is a major distraction.
4. Know the traffic rules in school zones Familiarise yourself with the various speed zones. Be aware of which side of the car your child sits, and consider positioning her to the side most convenient for exiting.