Juan Ameen
All-round ‘negative approach’ in dealing with schoolchildren’s safety
Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
The Ombudsman has slammed the education authorities for allowing children aged between three and eight to wait outside the gates of a primary school without supervision, saying it was “highly irresponsible and unacceptable”.
Chief Justice Emeritus Joseph Said Pullicino, the Ombudsman, criticised Education Ministry officials who backed the decision of the head of school at Mġarr’s primary not to open the gates before 8:30a.m., leaving the children who would have arrived early waiting outside unsupervised.
Leaving young children outside the gates of a primary school “is beckoning for a tragedy to happen at any moment and should no longer be tolerated”. Also, it would be “too late to remedy” in case of a “horrible accident”, Dr Said Pullicino said in a report.
The children waited for almost an entire scholastic year, during which different authorities argued among each other on who was to assume responsibility for the situation.
The Ombudsman started investigating the case last November after a group of worried parents from Manikata complained about the situation that developed after the teachers’ union instructed members not to open the main gate of the school before 8.30 a.m. in February 2010 as no supervision was available.
Parents were informed by the school head that children who used the transport service would not be allowed into the grounds even if their van brought them earlier. Some children were dropped off outside the gates at 7.55 a.m.
The Ombudsman criticised the authorities, saying it should be “obvious” that children should not be left unattended for any length of time because it would lead to “very serious accidents, if not tragedies”.
Six months after he started investigating, his office was informed that the education authorities were waiting for a reply from Transport Malta on the possibility of extending the period in which the road in front of the school was barred to traffic.
Seeing as there was no reply, the Ombudsman’s office contacted Transport Malta directly, only to find out that the proposal was turned down because it would “have strong repercussions on all schools” and that the extended times coincided with rush hour traffic, causing an even more chaotic situation.
Meanwhile, the children were left outside the gates for almost all the scholastic year despite an offer by the parents to supervise the children in the school grounds themselves during this time.
The Education Ministry defended itself with the Ombudsman on the basis that children’s supervision did not form part of the school transport service and pointed out that parents could make their own transport arrangements.
But the Ombudsman criticised this approach, saying that, since the authorities provided the transport, they were in duty bound to ensure that the children arrived safely.
The ministry’s suggestion to extend the times barring vehicles from the road was not “adequate or satisfactory”, Dr Said Pullicino said. However, he also slammed the Transport Malta for its insensitive attitude.
In general, Dr Said Pullicino said he was “struck” by the “negative approach” all the authorities had in shirking their responsibilities for looking after the children’s safety, pointing out that they were more interested in shifting the blame elsewhere.
Everyone, including the union, education authorities, the head of school and the minivan service provider were responsible for the children’s safety in various degrees and had to look for a solution.
The “issue of care and custody is” central to the parents’ complaint and the authorities had to “err on the side of caution” and “exert strict discipline” especially for the safety and well being of children, he said.
It soon became obvious that this problem was not limited only to Mġarr but to all government schools and, during his investigation, ministry officials admitted “the situation was untenable” and that, although there were financial implications, the overriding concern should always be the children’s safety.
The Ombudsman noted that the ministry made serious attempts to find solutions but progress appeared to be slow and indicated it would not be positive because of the extra cost of compensation.
He pointed out that such problems only existed in government schools and said he failed to see why these were treated differently and placed at an unnecessary risk and peril. He strongly recommended for a solution to be found by all stakeholders before the new scholastic year begun in a few weeks’ time.
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Tanja Cilia
Aug 29th 2011, 07:21
I have worked in a school and I live close to several schools. I know what happens when children are dropped off early or picked up late, especially in areas where there is non-stop traffic, as well as other issues that can pose dangers. I have seen peer bullying by children; I have seen children climb trees; I have seen them jump into rain puddles...If a school van has to wedge in three trips to different schools before school gates open, other than by breaking passenger number or speeding rules, he cannot drop off children immeditaely before Assembly time. Parents who work, and those who cannopt be bothered, will not be avalable for supervision duties.
Damien Falzon
Aug 22nd 2011, 16:21
Back when i used to go to secondary gov. School the caretakers would just open the doors at 7.00am and school would start at 8.15am.
Why dont they just get the caretakers to open the doors at 7.00am??
That way those parents that need to go to work early can drop off the kids early.
The bus driver can drop the kids 1/2 hour before school starts.
And the caretaker earns a bit of overtime and everyone is a winner.
Marianne Tabone
Aug 20th 2011, 19:41
Jekk it-tfal jidhlu l-iskola fil-bitha u jkunu minghajr supervizjoni jistghu iweggghu jew le? U jekk jigri dan min hu responsabbli? Is-soluzzjoni hi li jkun hemm roster ta' genituri li jkunu ghassa mat-tfal sewwa jekk ikunu barra mill-iskola u anke jekk gewwa! Imma nistieden lil kull min jahseb li din haga hafifa biex jipprova jorganizza din il-haga. MA SSIBX VOLUNTIERI!! U ebda kap ta' skola ma jista' jkun responsabbli tan-numru kbir ta' tfal li jaslu kmieni zzejjed l-iskola biex ikun akkomodat il-bzonn ta' min imexxi t-trasport li jaghmel hafna vjaggi - naturalment bil-flus. Barra minn hekk huwa gust li l-kap tal-iskola jew xi ghalliema jaghmlu xoghol zejjed qabel ma tibda l-gurnata tax-xoghol? Dawn familja ghandhom ukoll u x-xoghol biex jibghatu 'l uliedhom l-iskola jrid isir ukoll. Liema haddiem jidhol xoghol kmieni biex jaqdi kapricc ta' haddiehor? Biex ilahhaq il-vjaggi kollha haga ovvja li l-ewwel tfal li jmur ghalihom jaslu kmieni hafna ghax l-istess xufier ikollu hafna aktar vjaggi sewwa ghall-istess skola u anke ghal skejjel ohra. U barra minn hekk sewwa li t-tfal ikunu minghajr supervizjoni fuq il-karozzi li jwassluhom l-iskola? Naqbel li s-sitwazzjoni mhix tajba kif inhi imma hawn jehtieg l-involviment tal-genituri. Dawn m'humiex fil-Kunsilli tal-iskola biex jorganizzaw hargiet kulturali biss. Imma kif diga ghidt meta titlob ghal volunitieri biex jiehdu hsieb dawk it-tfal li jsibu ruhhom kmieni l-iskola ma ssibx. U dwar l-iskejjel privati mhix l-ewwel darba li tara dawn it-tfal jistennew it-trasport meta jkun ghadu d-dlam! U meta jidhlu l-iskola taghhom min jiehu hsiebhom? Ghax jekk hadd ma jkun hemm ghal dan l-iskop is-sitwazzjoni hi ezatt bhal dik ta' tfal fl-iskejjel tal-istat. Din problema antika li s'issa mhix solvuta. Milli stajt nifhem jien, m'hemmx karozzi jew mini buses bizzejjed biex ilahhqu mal-kwantita ta' tfal li juzaw it-trasport biex imorru l-iskola. Il-prezenza ta' pulizija biex ma jhallix karozzi jghaddu minn toroq fejn ikun hemm it-tfal jistennew li jsir il-hin ittaffi mill-problema. Imma jidher li f'certi ghases ma jkunx hemm pulizija biex jinbaghat quddiem l-iskejjel kollha li jista' jkun hemm fl-istess rahal. Bid-diskors tista' tghid li trid imma trid tkun fiha biex tkun taf il-problemi li jkun hemm.
M Schembri
Aug 20th 2011, 23:06
Is-supervizjoni tat-tfal ma tistax tithalla f-idejn il-volontiera, volontier jaghmel li jrid, jekk ma jmurx hadd ma jista' jghidlu xejn. It-tfal irid ikollhom min jiehu hsiebhom dejjem u mhux meta jkollu aptit.
Josephine Baldacchino
Aug 20th 2011, 19:04
It is a fact that a serious need for auxiliary staff exists in all schools. The period between 7.30am and 8.30am is a very tricky time in all schools both private and government. At that time not only are staff coming in at different times (and cannot always be relied on to come in early because of traffic jams etc) but more importantly teachers are NOT obliged to enter school before 8.20am. Early morning is the time when staff have short informal discussions together, prepare their class for the day, go to the office for any secretarial needs like photocopies etc so it is obvious that teachers cannot be expected to take part in supervision when they have their outside-classroom needs to take care of.
However this need for auxiliary staff is felt in many areas. For instance let’s say a child is hurt during PE and the teacher is on her own outside with her class (I am talking about ages 3 – 6 here) what does she do? Does she stay with her class and send the child with another to the office? Does she leave the children unattended and go to the office herself? Of course she can always send another pupil to the office to ask for help but what if the office is empty? There is too much reliance on the “office” in schools. You will probably find that the lesson is disrupted and the whole class go off to seek help.
I feel that all schools should be provided with support staff responsible for welfare of the children outside the classroom. These employees can also help with other duties as needed.
I could go on and on. I invite readers to look at this site http://www.tda.gov.uk/support-staff/becoming-support-staff/roles.aspx . It gives the various roles that are so important in schools and which are still lacking in our educational system. Secondary schools have different requisites from primary. We have seen much improvement in recent years with the employment of LSAs and more secretarial staff but other roles are vacant in various areas. By seeing that these kind of new posts are created, our school system will run much smoother.
M Schembri
Aug 20th 2011, 15:13
School transport is unsafe both in government and private institutions. The parents, authorities and even the ombudsman don't seem aware of the fact that school children, should not be left to wait for school transport at dawn. I have seen 3 year olds waiting for the school transport at 6 o'clock in the morning, these are not usually government school children, since the majority of government schools are in the same town or village and parents usually take them to school well after 8 o'clock. In the morning and afternoon you can see school buses with more students than is legally excepted. Neither parents nor police seem to mind that these children are risking their lives.
Mgarr parents should do like other parents do and wait outside the school gates with their children. As soon as students enter the school premises they are the responibility of the head, if school starts at 8:30 the Head and the teachers are not expected to be at school before 8:15 am so who is expected to open the gates and supervise the students, the caretakers? If this is the case, who is expected to clean and prepare the school for the students?
I still cannot understand why some children are being picked up for school at 6:30 am when school starts after 8:00 am. All this to accomodate the bus owners?
Tanja Cilia
Aug 20th 2011, 13:50
It is not only young children who are made to wait outside schools; does anyone consider how students in senior classes, dropped by van in front of their schools way to early for Assembly, can saunter around towns and villages, getting into scrapes? All this because Heads of Schools do not want the added responsibility of having minors in the grounds before it is absolutely necessary.
Marianne Tabone
Aug 20th 2011, 20:37
KIndly read what Ms. Josephine Baldacchino has written above and you will get an inkling how wrong you are Ms. Tanja Cilia. You can also read what I wrote! This is direct experience talking not just from impressions from outside the scene!!!! The solution to these problems does not lie with the Head of School but elsewhere. As for volunteers from among the parents who will take the responsibility of supervising the children on a roster basis, have you ever tried to bring this about? I can tell you it is almost impossible. So do not say that they 'Heads do not want the added responsibility of having minors in the grounds before it is absolutely necessary'. In any case Ms Cilia can one Head of School take proper care of sometimes about 100 children or more who are all playing in a yard? You have to be reasonable, do some research and think before putting pen to paper.
John Fenech
Aug 20th 2011, 13:33
Which is the most sensible and responsible action, open the school gates or closing the street. The other option is that the school concerned will appoint its staff to supervise the kids until the gates are open. Shift the onus to other authorities is a lack of responsible and a departure from positive education.
Ms Miriam Cassar
Aug 20th 2011, 12:21
How about pitching in the help of parents to supervise the children? Isn't that what PTAs are supposed to do, help ALSO in the safety of their children. A typical group of volunteers would include the nanniet (grandparents). All that's needed is some practical and common sense for the best interest of our children
Joseph Mifsud
Aug 20th 2011, 11:28
Why not make the transport vans arrive between 08.30 and 08.45.That is the best solution without expenses.Of course there are other solutions at a cost.
Mr Paul Barrett
Aug 20th 2011, 08:54
It is without any doubt that it is the transport drivers direct responsibility to ensure that the children move directly from the transport into a safe environment of the school grounds. If the school does not open the gates until 0830 am then he cannot, must not arrive early and just abandon the children to their own devices. If this is not already a law then it needs to be made a law forthwith.