Do you remember the first day when you dropped your child at the school? Many children and parents are reluct ant to let go of each other on the first day of school. Children are unwilling because they did not want to be in a new environment without the familiar faces of their parents. And parents are hesitant because they are worried if their child would be comfortable and safe in the school and its atmosphere. It is safe to say that for many, it is nothing short of an emotional feat.
Now, some parents insist on dropping off and picking up their child every day but for many parents, this is not possible because of work and other commitments. Most of the time, the school timings and work timings clash. And that is the reason why we choose to send our children to school via school bus or a school van.
That being said, does sending our child to school by bus or van ensure their safety? Where some would agree to it, many parents know otherwise. Only sending them to school by a safe vehicle option doesn’t ensure their safety. It is important to have some sort of supervision over the bus or van and its drivers. But how shall we do it?
The answer is GPS tracking for the bus or van.
What is GPS tracking?
Global Positioning System or GPS is a radio navigation system that uses satellite signals to point out our location at any time and in any weather. Along with location it also provides data on the person or vehicle velocity and time-synchronized travel. To say it simply, it allows us to know where we are, at what speed we are traveling, and how much time we take to reach the distance.
GPS is available everywhere, whether it is in our car, our smartphone, or our laptops. This tracking system is the best way to track any vehicle and where it is traveling in real-time. This is why a GPS tracking system is the best way to ensure our child’s safety.
How to use the GPS tracking system on school buses?
With a modern school management system, GPS can be integrated. This integrated GPS allows school administration as well as the parents to track the bus and what route it takes to and from school. With the smart GPS integrated feature, school admins have a choice to create transport routes as per the addresses of their students and teachers. It allows admins to be in control of the bus routes, its stops, and the time it takes to travel.
Accordingly, school admins can also decide the bus fare based on the distance and stops. They can share this information with the parents and teachers. This way parents, teachers, and admins know where the bus would be at any particular time.
This is a useful feature for ensuring the safety of teachers as well as other employees who come from far away and travel by school bus.
How GPS ensures child and employee safety?
There are many instances where school admins and parents wish they knew where their children’s bus is at any point in time. With a GPS tracking system, it is now possible. Knowing your child’s and employee’s location while on road is very important to ensure their safety. Let’s see some instances where GPS can become a boon to both parents and school administration.
- Many times a school bus can face an unexpected flat tire or fuel shortage. In these cases, if the bus is stranded somewhere on the route, the school admin and parents would know where their children and employees are. The school admin can then send another bus to retrieve everyone from the place. This way the students do not have to be late to school or home.
- This function is especially important when students and teachers are going on a school trip. Many times the route that the school bus takes is unknown. If in that case, the bus breaks down, it is easier and faster to send help when the school knows where is the bus located.
- In another scenario, if the school bus driver takes a route different than the allotted one, parents can let the school administration know about it. The admin can then take action according to the severity of the situation and make sure that it doesn’t happen again. In any case, parents and admins will know where their students are at all times with the GPS tracking system.
- Having an intelligent GPS tracking the bus will also let the school admin know about the speed at which the school bus is traveling and whether it is following the speed guidelines or not.We can say that with a GPS bus tracking system, the school admin can verify if the school bus driver is following the traffic rules as well as the rules set by the school. When they are sure that everything is according to their safety regulations, school admins can easily guarantee the safety of their students and employees.
EndNote
All this necessary information is shared with the parents of every student so that they too know whether the bus and its driver are following the standard set of rules set by the transport department and the school. If they find any mishap, they can lodge a query or complaint with the school administration. From there on the administration can take necessary action to resolve the query or complaint.
Student and employee safety is of utmost importance for any school and guardian. To be able to make sure that their children are safe, parents and school administration must take the required steps. GPS bus tracking feature integrated with the school management system is the most efficient way of ensuring their safety.
How do you ensure your children’s and employee’s safety? Let us know in the comments below and to find out more about school management systems check out this blog.