Same name, same kid? Not quite, it seems.
A school bus driver turned up to pick up a kindergarten student on Monday (Mar 1), not realising he had gone to the wrong school – Sparkletots, instead of My First Skool, which is located just a block away.
His actions alarmed the student's teacher, who quickly contacted the mother, the child's father told Lianhe Wanbao in an interview.
Neither of them recognised the bus driver, but the said driver knew their son's name.
"The man's phone had a name list, and my son's name was among them. I wanted to know why he had my child's name so I asked the teacher to hold him back, but he said he had to go fetch other kids and left just like that," the 36-year-old recounted.
Worried that someone was out to get their child, the father later filed a police report and posted about his experience on Facebook, where it went viral.
Things only came to light after a woman saw his post and contacted him to explain that their sons shared the same name, and her son was the person the bus driver had meant to fetch – but had gone to the next door kindergarten by accident.
"This was probably just a case of misunderstanding," she told the father. The school bus company had also reached out to clarify the situation, he confirmed.
AsiaOne has reached out to Sparkletots for further comment.
Basic Safety Rules For A School Bus: A Guide For Parents
To ensure that your child arrives at school safely and out of harm, here are a few safety rules at a school bus you should remember:
1. When enlisting for bus service, make sure that your child is registered properly and that you have written down your complete details. Also, double-check to see if the information the school has is up-to-date.
2. Always be present when your child boards the school bus to make sure they are safely sat in the vehicle before it leaves. It's also important that you're there when your child gets off the school bus at the end of the day.
3. Remind your child to wait until the bus is at a complete stop before they enter through the door.
4. Teach your child to sit properly while on the bus to avoid any accidents or injuries, should the bus make an abrupt stop.
5. It might also be safer if you advise your child to not eat or drink inside a moving vehicle to avoid them from choking.
6. A lighter backpack for your child may also help in ensuring that they don't lose their balance within the bus or while boarding and getting dropped off.
This article was first published in AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.
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