Parents Outraged At Video Of Children Walking Barefoot For Fire Drill, Teachers Explain The Real Sit
A video of preschoolers who were barefoot in the hot sun during a fire drill went viral and sparked a debate online.
Source: Instagram, alkisahproductions_
Al Kisah Productions posted the video on Instagram with the caption:
“It’s a “FIRE DRILL”. A drill in case a REAL fire happens. Is wearing shoes more important than saving their lives?”
In the video, the preschoolers and educators could be seen walking into the childcare centre after the fire drill without shoes. A few concerned bystanders approached the educator who apparently used her leg to push a toddler who was lagging behind.
The educator then explained that she had to do that because she was carrying a child and could not use her hands to push the toddler forward.
The educator then apologised for her behaviour and thanked the bystanders for their concern.
The comments section was filled with preschool educators who confirmed that it is SOP for them not to not have to put on the shoes during a fire drill. Educators are the ones who have to help the preschoolers put on their shoes during a fire drill. As fire drills simulate an emergency, every minute matters and it is too time consuming to have teachers wear shoes for all the children. Just by exceeding one minute, the whole exercise can be deemed a failure.
And then of course there will be one who will disagree without understanding the reality of dealing with preschoolers in such a situation.
The commentor wants to spray the teachers with the fire extinguisher because he feels that it is possible to prep the children before the fire drill. Preschool children aren’t NS men who have the speed and agility to put on their shoes during a fire drill.
A few netizens replied to him, saying that it is common sense to just evacuate without personal belongings and shoes during a fire drill.
One stated that it is common sense to go barefoot during a fire drill and the time taken to help the children put on their shoes may cause casualties, especially in a real fire.
While it is natural that parents get concerned about their children’s well-being, it is important to recognize that different industries have procedures in place for a reason. All it takes is a viral video to wrongfully accuse an entire profession of abuse.
Reporter’s Opinions: I see so many Karens coming out to play in the original video that was posted on TikTok that has since been taken down.
As an ex educator myself, I can vouch that there is no need for the children to put on their shoes during evacuation. We tried helping the toddlers put on their shoes and it was too time consuming. We have a few fire drills annually and if we fail by missing the evacuation timing, it will be repeated till we pass. It is time consuming to plan fire drills and it eats into curriculum time.
And in the event of a real fire, do you really think you would bother with your shoes if you were barefoot prior? Your life matters over other belongings.
As for the educator who was using her leg, frankly I didn’t see it in the video. I understand where she was coming from, saying that she had a toddler in her arms but using her leg to push a child forward is against our training. It concerns the safety of both the educator and the child. Both can fall and hurt themselves in the process.
Listen to Plan B’s Podcast this week!
Comments