Once the bell rings at the Rosary school in Miramar, students rush out to head home, many stuffing themselves into school vans and rickshaws. While some children lugging their heavy bags have parents waiting for them outside the school premises, there are many that have to travel in tempos and Maruti vans.
With windows shut and as many as ten children stuffed into a van, it is visibly disturbing to see the numbers crowding the vehicle. At least three vans passed by the school but everyone went about it as an everyday routine.
One teacher acknowledged the problem but speaking as a parent said there wasn’t much she could do to change the situation. “I used to send my daughter to school and realised she was coming home in a stuffed van. When I saw this happening I decided to remove her from that school and admit her to the school where I work,” she said.
But not all parents are teachers that can keep an eye on their children once they’re done for the day. Most parents however, knowing this problem of over crowding choose to invest more in the education than transportation.
“Most parents know that overcrowding is a problem, but would they rather invest more money in? Education or transportation?” questioned one city based headmistress. She added that while this problem is prominent in urban cities like Panjim and Margao, most students come from nearby areas.
“Overcrowding isn’t something acceptable to parents but for those that live in neighboring areas, it’s something that can be skipped. For example, parents of children from areas like Taleigao and Donapaula have not really made a big issue about it because they are working people that can’t make time to pick their children from school but know that because the distance is less, the rickshaw driver will drop them home,” she said.
But other issues including safety of the children are still at risk. Another teacher in a private primary school said the girl child was the most at risk especially while traveling in rickshaws. “There are several times where the girl child is made to sit on the drivers lap because the vehicle is filled to capacity. This is a disturbing trend that needs to be looked into,” she said.
There have been times however, where Parent Teacher Associations have come to the rescue. The PTA of schools like Rosary’s have, during their meetings brought this topic up, but while decisions were taken, over time this seems to have been taken lightly.
Last week, the High Court in a campaign carried out by the Herald took cognizance of one of our reports that pointed to how the department of transport had failed to notify and implement rules related to school buses.
