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Published : 13 Sep 2024, 01:22 AM
Tahsan Tanzim, a tenth-grade student at Feni Girish-Akshay Academy School, lives with his family on Academy Road in Ward No. 7 of the municipality. From the onset of the devastating floods, water began to seep into their house. Within hours, the situation became so dire that the family had to hurriedly evacuate their home with only the clothes on their backs. They could not salvage anything from the house. Neither Tahsan nor his siblings could take their textbooks with them. All of their books and notebooks were washed away in the floodwaters.
Tahsan's family sought refuge on the second floor of their school’s three-storey building. For an entire week, water remained above head level in their home. After returning from the shelter, Tahsan and his siblings found their home in ruins. As a result, Tahsan's education and school attendance have been severely disrupted. He is supposed to take his SSC exams later this year.
He said, "The floodwater ruined everything, including our books and notebooks. Due to frequent school closures throughout the year for various reasons, we haven’t been able to complete our syllabus properly. Now, we have to sit for our selection exams soon, even though we’re not fully prepared."
The family of Lusaiba Zaman, a first-grade student at Uttar Kohua Government Primary School in the Chhagalnaiya Upazila, faced a similar ordeal. The flood destroyed all the children’s books. The school has not reopened yet due to the flooding, disrupting their education.
Child Lusaiba said she needs new books and wants to return to school.
For students like Nowrin Sultana, a seventh-grader at Feni Government Girls' High School, this year’s studies have already been hindered by various factors, and the syllabus remains incomplete. Due to the flooding, the school has been closed for nearly a month. Even when it reopens, many students will struggle without books.
Nowrin expressed her frustration, saying that missing school for so long has disrupted her studies, and she wants to return to school as soon as possible.
After being closed for nearly two weeks, Cheoria Government Primary School in the Sadar Upazila reopened on September 12th. However, attendance was low.
Sadia Sultana, a fifth-grade student, said she has been attending school daily, but many of her classmates have not returned yet.
Mahmuda Haque, additional deputy commissioner (education) of Feni, said while some schools have resumed classes, most have not. Cleaning operations are still underway. Simply reopening the schools is not enough; the children's health must also be considered, as many institutions still have foul odours.
A request for new textbooks has been sent to the education advisor since many books were destroyed, he added.
This year’s floods have caused extensive damage in the eastern regions of Feni, Noakhali, and Comilla, with Feni being the hardest hit. In several Upazilas, millions of people were trapped by floodwaters for nearly three weeks.
When the waters rushed in suddenly and with great force, people fled their homes with only the clothes on their backs, seeking shelter. They could not save any belongings.
Students were unable to rescue their books, and many lost their school uniforms as well. Even after returning home from the shelters, students are finding it difficult to continue their studies. In some places, Anti-discrimination Student Movement has begun collecting old books, though the supply is insufficient. The government has also been informed of the need for new books.
Meanwhile, many schools remain unusable due to being submerged or serving as shelters. In some areas, authorities have cleaned the schools and classrooms to resume lessons, but student attendance remains low.
Over 400,000 students in Feni have been affected by the devastating floods that submerged all educational institutions in the district. A total of 351 secondary schools and madrasas, 559 primary schools, and 41 colleges and technical institutions were damaged, leaving 382,000 students unable to attend classes since Aug 20. Authorities are trying to resume classes, and efforts are under way to clean the affected schools.
Fulgazi Upazila's GM Hat Nurpur Abdul Hakim Bhuiyan Government Primary School was under 10 feet of water. The classrooms took over a week to clean after the water receded, and the furniture is still drying.
Munshihat Islamia Fazil Degree Madrasa's senior teacher Mohammad Lokman Ali said 13 classrooms, a mosque, and other facilities were submerged. Hundreds of books were damaged, and cleaning the messy madrasa required significant expenses.
Many schools face similar challenges, with infrastructure and equipment damaged, such as laptops and educational materials. Feni Government College, Pilot High School, and Primary School were used as shelters, making them unusable for classes.
Primary Education Officer Nasir Uddin Ahmed reported an estimated damage of Tk 42 million in primary schools, while Secondary and Higher Education Officer Narayan Chandra Nath said the floods caused over Tk 30 million in damage to 41 colleges.
Efforts to collect old books for affected students have begun, with the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement leading the initiative.
In nearby Comilla, many students lost their books and uniforms due to the floods. Umme Habiba, a fifth-grade student, found her school bag after the floodwaters receded, but all her books and clothes were ruined. Anik Chandra Das, a fourth-grade student, faced a similar situation.
Despite cleaning efforts, many schools remain unusable, and authorities are working to assess damages and provide support to the affected students.
In Noakhali, District Secondary Education Officer Nur Uddin Mohammad Jahangir said the district has 363 secondary and higher secondary schools and colleges, along with 343 madrasas. Among them, 90 percent of the schools and colleges have been damaged.
Classes are expected to resume soon as the floodwaters recede.
