Dangers of School Dismissal
The dangers of school dismissal are all too real. School dismissal is supposed to be a safe and stress free time of the day for you and your child, right? Instead, it is often chaotic, time consuming, and dangerous. Children are not always supervised properly during dismissal. This can lead to accidents, such as children stepping out into the street, wandering off on their own, or even getting into a wrong car. In the past week I have read some frightening articles about the dangers of dismissal.
Stories of Dangerous School Dismissals
An article on wcvb.com tells a bizarre story of a 7-year-old girl writing her own note to the school stating that she wants to go home on the bus. The most shocking part is that the school accepted this note and sent her home on the bus instead of going to her scheduled after-school program. The girl waited alone outside of her house until a neighbor realized she was by herself and called her parents. Her father, outraged, pulled her from the school. The use of hand-written notes today in school systems is extremely inefficient and outdated. This article is a prime example of the dangers that can occur from not having a digital recording/accountability system in place. Anyone is able to write a note and claim to be someone else. There is no sure way to know if someone is who they say they are without a digital record. A child should never have to encounter this kind of danger at school, and because of today’s technology, they don’t have to.
According to kfor.com, a woman in Oklahoma City is under arrest, accused of trying to kidnap a girl from school. She used physical force to drag the girl to her car. Thankfully, a teacher heard the commotion and did not recognize the woman who was taking the girl away. The girl was unharmed. The principal claims that what kept her safe is that the school knows the dismissal procedures and parents. My question is: how was this woman even allowed to get close enough to physically grab the girl and take her to her car.
How Parents and Schools Can Make School Dismissal Safer
Today, there are much more efficient ways to solve problems like this and ensure that no child ever has to be put in this situation. With school dismissal programs that most schools currently use, it is difficult to know where all the children are when they are roaming free around the car line. There is also no way to be sure who is picking up your child is really delegated to. With technology, there are ways to know exactly who is supposed to pick up your child. This is incredibly important in reducing risks to your child’s safety, like the one discussed in this article. Parents are now able to use their mobile devices to be sure their children are safe during dismissal.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/7-year-old-writes-excuse-note-gets-dismissed-from-school/8234592
http://kfor.com/2016/05/06/woman-tries-to-kidnap-girl-from-school-make-her-fight-niece
