Schools remaining closed for a long time due to the Corona epidemic; various preparations are now underway in the educational institutions in Madaripur district on the news of the reopening of the school on next Sunday (September 12).
However, at least 20 primary schools in five upazilas of Madaripur have become unsuitable for teaching activities due to flood. Of these, 3 schools are located in Madaripur Sadar upazila, 4 in Rajoir upazila, 5 in Kalkini upazila and 8 are in Shibchar upazila of the district.
Teachers, students and parents fear that the educational activities in those schools will be hampered heavily as the floodwaters have inundated the school grounds as well as the paths leading to the schools.
In this situation, after a long year and a half, when the schools across the country are starting functioning normally again, there is uncertainty about teaching in these flooded schools. Students and parents are disappointed over this.
The list of the water-logged government primary schools in the district includes Raghdi Nagardi Govt Primary School, Pukuria Govt Primary School, Harinagar Govt Primary School, Hijalbari Govt Primary School and Nuruddin Mollah Primary School.
Samrat Hossain Mollah, an assistant teacher at Raghdi Nagardi Govt Primary School in Rajoir Upazila said, “The school was flooded on all sides. Besides, the locals have stacked jute-sticks and bundles of paddy straw on the school grounds. We are heavily suffering from this.”
Lamia Akhter, a fifth-grader at Raghdi Nagardi Govt Primary School said, “How can we go to school with water on all sides of the school. We fear that this will hamper our studies when the schools reopen. We want concerned education officials to pay attention to our distress.”
Sadar Upazila Primary Education Officer Rashida Khatun said, “We have visited many schools a few days ago. Roads leading to several schools have been flooded but, for now there will be no problem in teaching.”
“In addition, all kinds of preparations have been made to create a healthy environment to deal with corona. If there is a more difficult situation in the future, the school will be closed”, he added.
In this regard, Madaripur District Primary Education Officer Md Nasir Uddin Ahmed said, “We have made a list of schools in the district which can be flooded. So far, several school grounds have been flooded. However, water did not go inside the schools. If the water rises, alternative measures will be taken.”