(MENAFN- The Peninsula) With more than 300 schools in Qatar opening for the new academic year today, the Ministry of Interior has joined hands with the Supreme Education Council (SEC) to address the heavy traffic jams and ensure safety of children inside the campus and on the roads.
The Traffic Department has urged bus drivers and parents to start earlier to reach school on time "as traffic delays are expected in many roads due to maintenance works". In a statement issued yesterday, the department said it will deploy more patrols near schools to monitor traffic congestions at peak hours.
About 243,000 school students return to their classes today, with a total of 332 schools - 178 independent school and 154 private schools - all set to open today. These include 15 new private schools and a number of new independent schools. About 1,700 Karwa buses are ready to transport Independent school students, while most private schools have their own fleet of buses.
"No school bus should operate without a supervisor to look after the children," the SEC said in instructions to Independent schools yesterday. The driver and supervisor must ensure that no student is left behind in the bus at the end of each trip.
Bus drivers have been asked not to report late for duty during the morning and afternoon schedule. If any driver would do that, it should be promptly reported to the school.
The supervisor should report to the school if any student has not boarded his bus to the school and back home on any particular day. The SEC has also advised schools and parents to raise awareness among children about the discipline to be followed in school buses.
Officials of some private schools said yesterday that they also had received a circular from the SEC containing guidelines to ensure the safety of children and the quality of education. "We have given instructions to our bus drivers based on the circular," said the official of an Indian school.
As part of the preparations for the new academic year, the Traffic department recently organised a workshop on traffic safety for school bus drivers, in collaboration with Mowasalat. The workshop discussed all possible means to ensure safety of children in school buses and the role of supervisors, said the statement.
The Civil Defence team at the ministry organised a series of fire drills in several schools. All schools have been asked to provide emergency exits, centralised fire alarms and fire extinguishers.
"The Traffic Police, Al Fazaa and civil patrols will intensify patrolling to check wrong behaviours on the roads that pose a threat to the lives and safety of students," added a Ministry statement.
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