MALAPPURAM: Vaseem and his uncle were embarking on a trip to the airport to welcome the former’s father, who was returning from the Gulf. Before starting their journey, Vaseem’s uncle reminded him to buckle his seatbelt. A curious Vaseem asks why it's important to wear seatbelts, and his uncle explains that it is a crucial safety precaution while travelling in a car. He proceeds to emphasise the importance of wearing helmets when riding a two-wheeler, highlighting that these safety protocols are in place to ensure protection.
During the journey, an excited Vaseem urges his uncle to increase the speed of their vehicle. However, his responsible uncle took the opportunity to educate him about the potential risks of speeding and how it could significantly elevate the chances of accidents. Vaseem’s curiosity persists, and his uncle continues to patiently address his queries, fostering a dialogue that imparts well-rounded road-safety knowledge.
This exchange between Vaseem and his uncle appears in a chapter titled ‘Thavakkalthu Allah’ in the class III textbook ‘Duroosul Islam.’ The chapter is part of the curriculum of approximately 10,000 madrasas and English medium schools under the AP Samastha’s Sunni Vidyabhyasa Board.
The president of the board and chairman of Ma’din Academy in Malappuram, Sayyid Ibraheem Khaleel Al Bukhari, emphasised the need for students to be well-versed not only in prayers during travel but also in traffic regulations.
“Reckless driving is tantamount to endangering one’s life,” Bukhari said. He highlighted that incorporating road safety education into the curriculum aligns with the motor vehicles department’s (MVD) goal of instilling road safety principles in young minds. Plans are underway to conduct awareness programmes at various levels across the state to propagate road safety.
Commitment gets MVD recognition
The board’s proactive commitment to road safety has been recognised by MVD. C V M Shareef, regional transport officer for Malappuram, praised the initiative as a positive step, stating that imparting road safety lessons to children contributes to cultivating a society that values responsible driving.
He also urged other educational boards to adopt the Sunni Vidyabhyasa Board’s commendable approach.
The Sunni Vidyabhyasa Board had taken preemptive measures by integrating road-safety lessons into school textbooks, even before the Kerala state government considered a similar initiative.
“The state government is evaluating the proposition of incorporating traffic rules into the state syllabus, potentially from the next academic year,” Shareef said. During a recent visit to the Ma’din Academy, Perinthalmanna MVI P K Muhammad Shafeek, enforcement MVI M K Pramod Shankar, and AMVI Shabeer Pakkadan conveyed the department’s appreciation to Bukhari.