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There have been cases of teachers and parents driving cars into schools, causing accidents for students. These incidents raise questions about traffic safety on school grounds.
At the beginning of this school year, on September 16, at Bui Thi Xuan Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Ea Sin Commune, Krong Buk District, Dak Lak Province), a heartbreaking incident occurred. It was raining so a parent drove his car into the school yard. Because he was not paying attention, he crashed into 3 second grade students, causing one child to die on the spot.
Furthermore, in December 2016, a traffic accident occurred in Hanoi right in the school yard. The principal and vice principal of Nam Trung Yen Primary School (Hanoi) asked the school security to open the gate for a taxi driver to take the two girls straight into the school yard even though it was recess. The car crashed into a second grader, injuring her. The two leaders were later dismissed.
Even though the adults involved in these incidents have lost their jobs and will have to pay the price before the law, I believe that in the court of conscience, they will never be able to forgive their actions. Because schools are supposed to be one of the safest places for children, but children are hurt right there.
From these incidents, looking back at traffic safety inside and outside schools, we see that there are still many issues to discuss.
For a long time, at the beginning of each school year, localities have often launched a large-scale campaign to implement the "Peak Month of Traffic Safety for Students Going to School" (September every year). During this time, local police coordinate with schools to disseminate traffic laws to teachers and students in many vivid forms; organize parents and students to sign a commitment to strictly comply with traffic laws.
Many models of “traffic-safe school gates” have appeared. In the 2023-2024 school year, Hai Duong has more than 500 schools meeting the criteria of traffic-safe school gates.
To ensure traffic safety at school gates, many schools in the province have painted lines to divide parking areas for parents when dropping off and picking up their children. Some places in Hai Duong have established teams to ensure traffic safety for students, and then “traffic knights” have appeared…
However, according to data from the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee, last school year the province still had more than 300 schools that did not meet the criteria for traffic safety school gates.
From the above figures, we can see that we still focus on the school gate area or the safety of students on the way to school, but pay little attention to safety issues within the school grounds.
The plan to implement traffic safety propaganda and education in schools in 2024 of the Department of Education and Training of Hai Duong, in addition to items such as propaganda of laws, traffic skills, having students sign commitments..., regulations on traffic in school grounds are also available but are still general. That is: It is strictly forbidden to control and illegally stop and park vehicles in school grounds during class time, activities, and playtime of students, trainees, cadres, teachers, and school staff...
Some people say that banning teachers from driving cars to school is not feasible. I agree with this opinion, because more and more teachers can afford to buy cars. It is natural for them to drive cars to teach, just as many officials, civil servants, and public employees drive cars to work.
To ensure the safety of students, schools need to implement the plan of the Department of Education and Training such as: having separate paths for teachers; specifying separate areas where teachers are allowed to drive and park. These areas need to be fenced, have signs or publicized so that students do not gather to play, run around, etc.
KIM THANH