We all are guilty Saturday, 22 May 2010 18:43

Who killed Sarah? A careless driver who drove off in a hurry after dropping other children at the school with Sarah still asleep in his vehicle and did not bother to look inside before locking it up at the parking spot, a callous school management out to cut costs, or an uncaring vigilance mechanism? All of them. The jury is out. Few, if any, doubt the guilty verdict, whatever the judiciary ultimately decides.

But let’s face it. All parents, including me and Sarah’s shattered parents — whether your child goes to Sarah’s or to another school — bear responsibility. Equally, if not more. We failed, and failed miserably in protecting Sarah. It was a tragedy waiting to happen.

The danger signals were there for all of us to see. We either failed to recognise them, or made feeble protests, never making an effective attempt to correct them. There was no attendant in Sarah’s vehicle on that fateful day. There never had been. Yet no parent took it up seriously enough while putting their sleepy children on the bus. Sarah’s has not been the only bus without an attendant. Other buses, from other schools, ferry little ones without an attendant.

We talked to parents a day after the tragedy. In all, 14 of them. They were all vociferous in their condemnation of the school. They came up with sensible suggestions about what must be done. Yet only one and half of them wanted to own it up in print. Half because one parent wanted only the first name mentioned. Why?

Since Sarah’s death, instances of other children being similarly left in buses in other schools have come to light, including one the Supreme Education Council is aware of.  They were lucky. They escaped unharmed. Sarah did not. The poor soul paid the ultimate price. Our groggy children are known to have gotten off far away from schools. They have been left at school. Yet, we have let it pass, maybe with a ‘sorry’ from the school authorities.

Why? It is in our nature. We tend to believe terrible things happen to others. They won’t visit us. Until one day they creep on us. Sarah’s death has shaken parents, not only those whose children go to that school. It has made us all aware how in our smugness we put our little ones in harm’s way. The school management and others will pay for their lapses, but let all parents vow we won’t let our guard down. We owe it to our children.

Parvez Khusro--Managing Editor