School tragedy reveals alarming absenteeism

As an investigtion begins into the death of a girl left on a school bus, aspects of the case cause disquiet

In many parts of the world, the failure of a student to arrive at school will automatically lead to the parents being contacted to find out why. Sarah Dea / The National

Exactly how a three-year-old girl came to die after being locked inside an Abu Dhabi school bus in sweltering weather will be determined through a careful and precise investigation. This is as it should be – the overall goal for the investigating authorities has to be ensuring that no other family ever has to experience a similar tragedy.

But while we can express our horror and sadness at this particular event, aspects of the case give cause for disquiet. One is that this kind of tragic death has happened before, after which a similar investigation was conducted and procedures adopted intended to prevent a recurrence. It is far too early to go into specific circumstances of this latest incident but how this could happen again – whether because the enhanced safety rules proved to be inadequate, because of a failure of implementation or a combination of the two – must be determined by the investigating team.

Similarly concerning was the news, relayed by Roderick Williams, principal of the Al Worood Academy Private School at which the girl was enrolled, that more than half of the 2,000 pupils were absent this week because their families had extended the Eid Al Adha holiday. This is an astonishingly high number, which is disturbing on a number of levels.

One is that in much of the developed world, the failure of a student to arrive at school will automatically lead to the parents being contacted to find out why. One of the questions for the investigators in this case is whether an early alert about her absence might have prompted a search for the girl in time to avert the tragedy. With more than 1,000 students absent, this kind of system could easily be unmanageable in this situation.

Then there is a wider question about so many parents allowing their children to miss school. What happened at this school is likely to be reflected in most others in the UAE. Given that the education system has considerable scope for improvement, it is concerning that so many parents think it is acceptable for their children to miss several days of classes.

That in turn effects the other students who have attended school this week. Will teachers really embark on new material, knowing half of their students are not there to learn it? The temptation is they will instead spend this week reviewing older elements of the curriculum, relegating their role to one of childminders more than educators. Improving the effectiveness of schools in the UAE requires everyone – students, parents, teachers and school administrators – to accord it a high priority.