A school has started a helmet campaign to instil a sense of responsibility among a section of parents who drop their children to school on two-wheelers without them or their wards wearing helmets.
Some students of Swarnim International School in Kodalia, about five kilometres from Narendrapur, were at the gate last week to take down the names of the students or their parents who were without helmets, as part of the drive.
“The parents will be given two warnings after which the children will not be allowed to enter school. We hope this will help develop a habit of prioritising safety,” said Rumjhumi Biswas, principal, Swarnim International School.
The campaign was first launched by the school before the summer vacation. The last week’s drive was a follow-up.
“The parents have asked for a few days to buy helmets. We have decided to give them some time after which warnings will be issued,” said Biswas.
Last Friday, students stood with placards to drive home the point that wearing a helmet while riding a two-wheeler was very essential. They put stickers on the vehicles of those who came without helmets.
The school, which currently has 500-odd students till Class IX, about 70-odd students come riding two-wheelers.
Nearly 50 per cent do not wear helmets, said a teacher.
“Compared to the drive held before the summer vacation, this time we saw that there were less number of parents without helmets. But when asked about it, most of them said that they forgot to wear one. So, we put a sticker which had ‘wear a helmet for your safety and the safety of your family’ written on it,” said Class VIII student Tamoshmita Mondal.
The initiative is aimed to create awareness about the importance of wearing a helmet and promote a safe environment for all.
It is not uncommon to see parents taking their children to school without a helmet in the morning across the city.
“Some parents argue that they live close by. But what they fail to realise is that living nearby does not mean there can be no accidents. It is a dangerous habit,” said Biswas.
Some of the parents wear helmets but their children don’t.
Even during the parents’ orientation in April, principal Biswas in her address had stressed the need for a helmet while riding a two-wheeler.
“We want our children to grow up with a strong sense of responsibility, discipline and civic sense. Flouting traffic rules is totally unacceptable,” said Biswas.