Classes stalled in 24 damaged institutions
Classes are not being held in 24 educational institutions in Domar upazila for the last one week as a violent nor'wester lashed the area on May 10, damaging the schools and colleges either totally or partially and also causing immense damage elsewhere in the upazila.
“Of the damaged educational institutions, 15 are government primary schools, 7 are high schools and 2 are colleges, where a total of at least 8,000 students study. We are assessing the extent of damages to send to the higher authorities for taking urgent measures to restore normal academic activities,” said Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Umme Fatima.
“Besides the educational institutions, the nor'wester, which lasted for half an hour, damaged almost 70% of standing crops, affecting 70,000 families, and disrupted 1,400 km of electric lines,” she added.
On a visit to severely damaged Boro Rauta Government Primary School in Domar municipality on May 14, this correspondent saw that the corrugated iron roof had been blown away and a large section of the brick wall had collapsed as a big tree in the school ground fell on it.
Teachers said there are 279 students and 5 teachers in the school, and regular attendance is almost 100 percent. The school has good results in PSC examinations every year, they added.
“It is very difficult for us to take classes. We would like to resume academic activities within 2 or 3 days, even under the open sky and sitting on polythene sheets on the ground as the mid-term examination is nearing,” Headmaster Hosne Ara Begum said.
Class V students Kollol Hasan, 11, and Selina Akhtar, 10, said their studies are greatly hampered as classes cannot be held.
During a visit to Panga Girls' School in Panga Motukpur union, it was seen that the boundary wall had collapsed and the roof was blown away.
Headmaster Taroni Kanta Roy said the local lawmaker and the UNO visited the school and assured her that they will take all possible measures to restore normalcy.
“We are monitoring the situation and have directed the heads of the affected schools to continue imparting education to students, even under trees,” said Upazila Primary Education Officer Amir Hossain.
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