Touching Moment As B'day Of Nurul Fatin Celebrated
Nur Nabilah (L) and Nurul Fatin (R).
1. A teacher cutting the cake to be served to the classmates of Nurul Fatin. 2. The family of the late Nurul Fatin Nabillah fulfilled her wishes of an Upin and Ipin cake for her birthday. 3. The walkway cordoned off with flowerpots at the Mabohai Secondary School. Photos: Syafiq Affendy.
Bandar Seri Begawan - The family of the late Nurul Fatin Nabillah, whose sixth birthday was yesterday, fulfilled the wishes of the little girl to have an Upin and Ipin cake and fried chicken for the birthday party by bringing them over to Mabohai Primary School.
The six-year-old and her close friend Nur Nabilah Farhana died Tuesday at the school when a teacher who while reversing her car slammed into the girls and pinned them to the wall, resulting in their deaths.
The class teachers cut the cake which was shared along with the fried chicken among Nurul Fatin's classmates.
The touching moment moved many at the school.
Meanwhile, the family members of the two six-yearold students raised several issues regarding the safety of students in schools.
Older sister of Nur Nabilah Farhana @ Rahimah, who resides with the rest of the siblings in Kg Rimba, highlighted the need for all schools to have a separate car park, located at a safe distance from the school compound - a method practised by several schools in Brunei.
Zamain Hj Tuah, the father of Nurul Fatin Nabillah, who was approached by the Bulletin yesterday prior to a tahlil recital at his residence in Kg Katok, also shared a similar sentiment.
He strongly urged school officials not to allow any vehicle to be parked inside the school premises.
"It doesn't matter whose car, it is teachers, staff or even the school principal. The presence of cars near the walkway of the students poses potential danger as these children are still too young to know about road safety," he said.
He also highlighted the need to have a proper drop-off point in order to realise these ideas, as well as employing security guards at primary schools, something that is being done in secondary schools.
Members of the public also voiced their opinion calling for a safer environment in schools.
Some of them even pointed to areas such as Rimba Secondary School and PGGMB Primary School in Lambak that should have speed humps to prevent irresponsible drivers from speeding and to prevent mishaps from happening.
"Primary schools should adopt the private schools' system where these students should have a separate waiting area. And parking areas for public and teachers should not be near school grounds. That is why new schools for upper six and secondary have a more systematic architecture," Pg Haklimah, a senior executive in the private sector.
An officer at a private company, Saidatul Nurul, said, "(Schools) should have teachers or school traffic officers manning areas of primary schools near big roads. Parents should also be mindful of their kids by not letting them cross roads with cars moving. Drivers must be made more aware to drive slowly near school areas. Officials should enforce speed limit and construct humps."
Dk Suriani, a teacher from a secondary school, agreed that parents, staff and teachers should be prohibited from parking inside the school compound. She added that the 'free space' can then be used instead for students to carry out their outdoor activities.
"But the disadvantage of this is time as it will cause more traffic jams around school areas. For example around the private schools located in Beribi, major traffic jams always occur during rush hour," she added.
The Bulletin also made observations at several schools where road safety is of high priority.
The International School Brunei (ISB) is very strict with road safety as the school employs road traffic officers to usher students across the zebra crossing and send them to their parents waiting outside on the road. No students are allowed outside the compound and parents who wish to pick up their children are allowed to drive to the pickup point at the school entrance and monitored by a staff.
The Sixth Form Centre in Katok also practises similar drop-off and pick-up points and even has the car park situated outside the school compound.
--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
