In asevere setback to the educational infrastructure in the state of Assam, as manyas 15,000 LP schools have been damaged by the devastating floods, according toAll Assam Primary Teachers' Association.
The beginningof the school session from August 1 after the summer vacation has become apredicament as thousands of schools have been devastated in flood and most ofthe schools have been set up as relief camps.
The annualcycle of floods in the state usually coincides with the summer vacation as itstarts from 1st week of June which ends in July last week and thefloods in the state also occur in the same period with the onset of the monsoonseason.
As theschool remains closed for one month, it becomes easier for the government toturn the schools into relief camps without having any difficulty to find otherplaces to set the relief camps.
The flood has not only taken lives of many people but the future of many students are now at stake as lakhs of students will not be able to attend their schools. The primary teachers association said that lakhs of students across the state have been affected because of the fury of the floods in the state.
The teachers'organization has also demanded that the schools should be rebuilt andremunerations be handed out within three months.
It is not only the turning of schools into relief camps that students will not be able to attend the schools after it reopens on August 1 but also many schools which were reeled under flood is now under knee-deep mud.
In a school of Abhayapuri, it is seen that labourers are working to clean the school premises as the school is reeling under knee-deep mud and it is not possible to start the school session from Thursday.
The questionarises as who will take the responsibility of these students whose future remainsat stake. Is it their fault that they would not be able to attend the schoolsafter it reopens and will they be able to appear for the examination as theircourse will not be completed in time.
Moreover, Barpeta District Mission Coordinator of Sarba Siksha Abhiyan, Jyotsna Rani Barman while speaking to reporters said that they are in a very difficult position as the schools are set to reopen on August 1 and before that the classrooms need to be cleaned as most of the schools were submerged in water. She said that they also can't ignore the plight of those who have been putting up at relief camps set up inside the schools.
She further stated that usually, they instructed to clean up schools from where inmates in relief camps have left in the last couple of days. They are looking to hold classes in rooms that are lying empty in the schools where flood-affected people are taking shelter but that is not a healthy environment to hold classes but there is no other options left, said Barman.
Accordingto reports, nearly 31,000 flood-affected people have taken shelter in reliefcamps in six districts of Barpeta, Chirang, Kamrup, Morigaon, Nagaon andJorhat.
