My heart is heavy after seeing reports of a terrible school dormitory tragedy in which young students lost their lives, others were injured, and families were left in deep pain. I do not know all the facts, and I do not write to accuse anyone before the proper investigation is complete. I write as a concerned mother, grandparent, great-grandparent by marriage, and as someone who has worked in boys’ and girls’ high schools as a matron, cateress, and housekeeper.This is not a time to take advantage of sorrow. It is a time to mourn, pray, learn, and ask what we must do better from now forward.No parent sends a child to school expecting to receive news of death, injury, fire, fear, or trauma. My heart goes to the parents who lost children, the parents sitting beside hospital beds, the students who survived, the teachers and workers who are shaken, and the whole school community carrying this pain. May God give peace to the grieving families and healing to the injured children.When such tragedy happens, the first response should be compassion. The second response should be truth. The third response should be prevention.As adults, we must not rush only to blame. We must also ask deeper questions. What warning signs were missed? Were the students emotionally troubled? Was there pressure, fear, bullying, substance use, outside influence, group pressure, or mental distress? Were there safety weaknesses in the dormitory? Were students being listened to? Were school workers supported enough to notice danger early?In my humble opinion, any students reported to be involved in such a tragedy should be handled with seriousness, but also with full assessment. There should be careful investigation, medical review where appropriate, emotional and psychological evaluation, and examination of possible substance-related or outside influences. This does not remove responsibility, but it helps parents, schools, healthcare workers, juvenile facilities, and communities understand what truly happened and how to prevent future harm.Our children need more than classrooms. They need safe dormitories, watchful supervision, trusted adults, counseling, health checks, spiritual guidance, and places where they can speak before pain becomes destruction. Teachers and school workers also need support, training, and enough staff to notice when something is wrong.Parents also need to be part of the prevention. We must talk with our children often. We must listen when their behavior changes. We must ask about friendships, fears, anger, sadness, pressure, and school life. A child may look decent on the outside but be carrying confusion, pain, or influence that adults have not yet seen.This painful moment should educate all of us. Schools should review dormitory safety, emergency exits, fire prevention, student supervision, counseling access, and communication with parents. Communities should reduce shame around mental health and substance-related struggles. Churches and faith communities should help families with prayer, teaching, listening, and support. Government and school authorities should seek truth and justice, but also prevention and healing.The children who died must not be forgotten. The injured must be cared for. The grieving families must be comforted. The students accused or involved must be handled with truth, justice, and proper care. And all of us must ask: what can we do from now forward to protect children better?May God comfort every parent and family touched by this tragedy. May He heal the injured. May He give wisdom to investigators, school leaders, healthcare workers, parents, and community leaders. And may this sorrow awaken us to build safer schools, stronger families, and more caring systems for our children.This message is shared not for promotion, but for education, prayer, and concern. When children suffer, all of us must learn.