Published On: 2007-11-25

Front Page

Education another victim of Sidr

Suranjith Deabnath, back from Sidr-hit areas

Academic activities of around 10,000 institutions in 30 districts have been seriously disrupted because of the devastating cyclone Sidr, which badly damaged schools, colleges and madrasas and education materials in these areas.

"I have lost all my books and study materials and my parents do not have the ability to buy those again. Our college was also fully demolished," said Mizanur Rahman, an HSC first year student at Mathbaria Rustab Ali Farazi Degree College in Pirojpur. "I do not know when I will go to college again. I do not know what lies ahead," he added.

Mizan said he cannot even think of resuming studies because he and his family members are still struggling to make up the losses caused by Sidr.

According to the disaster control centre, 1,335 educational institutes in 30 districts, especially Bagerhat, Barguna, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Bhola, Jhalakathi and Barisal , were completely damaged by Sidr that hit the southern coastal districts on November 15.

Only a few brick-built institutions survived the cyclone's impact while 7,893 were damaged partially.

The annual examinations of classes I-X are scheduled to begin from December 3 while the first year exams of HSC students will start in the first week of December.

Shahjahan Mian, a teacher of 96 No. Khatachhira Government Primary School in Mathbaria, said although Sidr could not do anything to their brick-built school, all the tables, chairs, books and other educational materials were washed away in the tidal surge.

"Water of the Baleswar river rose as high as the treetops. The students have also lost their books. We do not know how we will hold the annual exams," Shahjahan told The Daily Star.

A teacher of Southkhali Government Primary School in Bagerhat said students and their guardians are now all busy collecting food and repairing their houses.

Abdul Kashem, a student of class VII at Anwar Hossain High School at Sharankhola Rayenda Bazar in Bagerhat, said their teachers told them that they might have to do exams sitting on the floor under the open sky as it would be impossible to complete repairing the school before the exams.

M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, secretary of the primary and mass education ministry, said around 4,800 primary schools have been affected by Sidr and around 1,000 of them have been badly damaged.

The ministry may get the exact figure by tomorrow, he said, adding, "We will make an action plan very soon and probably will submit a report to the finance ministry seeking funds for repairing the affected schools."

He said a good number of books for primary level students are stored in the district education offices and the ministry has already directed the district education officers to distribute them among the students of the affected areas.

Education Secretary M Mamtazul Islam said cyclone Sidr hit at a time when students were preparing for their final examinations.

"We will talk with the top government officials about allocating additional funds for repairing the affected schools," he said, adding, "Although the education ministry has no budgetary allocation for repairing non-government institutions, it is ready to provide funds in such dire circumstances."

Earlier during the floods of July-August, over 7,000 educational institutions in 39 northern districts, especially Sirajganj, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Comilla, Bogra, Pabna, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Shariatpur, Rangpur, Manikganj, Sunamganj, and Madaripur, were damaged.

The government had to adjourn exams at many institutions that went under floodwater while others were used as shelters for the flood-affected people.