Parents worried as students sweat in non-AC school buses

After almost three weeks since schools reopened, students in many government schools face a similar problem — buses with no air-conditioning facility. Parents seem to have fed up with lodging complaints with the authorities. They are increasingly worried at the plight of their children who leave for afternoon classes in non-AC buses in temperature above 40 degrees Celsius. “Many schools have now afternoon shifts that start at 12 and continue till 4 pm. This makes our children leave for schools at a time when the temperature is too high in buses with no air-conditioning facility. How can they study after travelling in such conditions,” wonders Aby Omar, a parent of a third-grade student. Basheer al Ghafri, another parent, said: “We thought change in study time will be our major concern. But non-AC buses are the biggest problem. Our children suffer from the heat inside the school buses. When we asked the driver he said that the AC has not been working for a long time.” Parents told the Observer that they had brought the issue to the notice of school principals, only to be told that most buses are with no ACs. “It is a pathetic situation, especially for children in circle 1 to travel in hot afternoon. Instead of giving excuses, the authorities should take action to rectify the issues,” parents said. “The bus starts picking up children from 11 am. They spend almost one hour in the bus before reaching the school. During all this time they stay with no AC, with all windows down. They also have to attend the afternoon assembly which starts at around 12:10 pm. It is very exhausting! How can they study after all this agony?” Yasser al Ghafri, a parent, said. Taking the issue to a higher level, parents said they have spoken to officials regarding this issue, but still couldn’t find a solution. The Observer visited a number of schools and learnt that most of the buses are without the air-conditioning facility.“It is very hot. The driver opens the window as the ACs do not work. There is also too much dust entering the buses as they travel on unpaved roads,” a student said. “Who will take the responsibility,” asked Khalf al Adawi, another parent. It is a violation of children’s rights. Not to mention the health problems that would crop up if the situation goes unaddressed. We need an urgent solution, he said. However, a source told the Observer that non-airconditioned school buses are in use for a long time. In only one governorate alone, there are about 500 buses with no ACs. “The problem is that we can’t change the contract of the buses due to financial considerations. Also, it is difficult to force bus owners to install ACs as we have long-term contracts with them. The cost also will be high which we cannot afford at present,” the source said.