All the educational institutions in Jhalakathi district, which were closed for 18 months due to coronavirus infection, have reopened on last Sunday, alike all other educational institutions across the country according to government directives.
However, teaching activities are being disrupted at 10 educational institutions there, which were damaged due to floods and tidal waters. The infrastructure of many schools has become feeble in the meantime, so accidents can happen at any time.
It is learned that there are 948 educational institutions in Jhalakathi district. Of these, 27 are colleges, 173 are secondary schools, 585 are government primary schools and 123 are madrasas.
Among them, educational institutions standing on Sugandha and Bishkhali rivers, in remote areas were flooded in the last monsoon. Since then some of these institutes have remained waterlogged. So, it is not possible to teach in those waterlogged classrooms. Sometimes the classes are taken at higher places beside the school and sometimes at a nearby institution.
Visiting in person it was seen that the Panchagram Secondary School in Nalchiti upazila of the coastal district Jhalakathi is submerged in flood and tidal water.
The tin shed infrastructure has been weakened and is on the verge of collapsing. Due to the accumulation of water in the classroom, the floors have turned into knee-deep mud.
In this situation, even though the school was reopened on Sunday, it was not possible to teach in those schools, said affected teachers and students. The students were scared to see the ghostly condition inside the classroom. Accidents can happen at any time there. 319 students of this school are in distress now.
A small building of the nearby Akharpara Government Primary School has also become dangerous due to rising water. Meanwhile, students are being taught at a nearby madrasa as half of the cyclone shelter at Paschim Deuri Government Primary School in Sadar Upazila has been washed away by the river.
Although 10 educational institutions have been opened along the river and in remote areas, the flood waters have not yet receded and all the classrooms are not being used for teaching, local teachers and students said.
The floodwaters also damaged 10 educational institutions in the district including Matibhanga Secondary School, Veranbaria CHU Secondary School, Veranbaria Alim Madrasa, Jurkathi Girls Secondary School and Jurkathi Dakhil Madrasa. Teachers have demanded to bring back the learning environment in those schools by constructing concrete buildings in place of tin sheds.
Shakib, a class nine student of Panchagram Secondary School said, “We have five classrooms in two tin sheds on the west and south side of the school. None of them are suitable for teaching now. Water has entered and mud has accumulated under the benches. After one and a half year the schools have finally reopened but we could not return to our school.”
School teacher Md Ruhul Amin said,”It is not possible for us to teach in the waterlogged classrooms. We are taking classes at the teachers’ common room for now. Our school is very old; I am requesting the authorities to provide a building here.”
Nalchiti Upazila Secondary Education Officer Anwar Azim said the authorities of the educational institutions that were affected by flood waters have been asked to repair them at their own expense for now. Although difficult, alternative arrangements have been made for teaching in those schools, he added.