Primary education suffers Tk 166cr in flood damage
Staff Correspondent
The floods could cost the primary education sector over Tk 166 crore and the education sector as much as Tk 500 crore in damage to the infrastructure and educational materials, according to preliminary government estimates.The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MPME) has initially put the loss at Tk 166 crore while the Ministry of Education is still making a comprehensive assessment of the damage. "We are estimating the loss and expect to complete the task by Saturday," a senior official at the education ministry said, wishing anonymity. Some 60 primary schools have been totally submerged in the flooding and river erosion at different parts of the country has thrown the future of over 13,000 students into uncertainty. The monsoon deluge has forced about 37.5 lakh students to leave classes after some 17,500 schools suspended routine activities. Twenty-two of the totally damaged primary schools are in Sirajganj, six each at Haimchar in Chandpur, Narail and Faridpur, five in Madaripur, four each in Kurigram and Jamalpur, two in Gaibandha, one in Shariatpur and the rest at different other places. Many schools would not be able to resume classes once the flood runs its course as it has severely damaged the infrastructure. The MPME is looking for alternatives to cope with the situation. "We have asked authorities to take necessary steps to provide education to students of severely damaged schools at their neighbouring institutions," said an official of the MPME. Classes would be taken in additional shifts to accommodate more students, the official, who asked not to be named, added. The raging floods prompted closure of more than one-fourth of the country's 97,325 education institutions in 42 districts including the capital Dhaka. Classes and examinations in many educational institutions have been suspended for indefinite period while many others are contemplating following suit. Some 1,203 primary schools have been converted into temporary shelter centres. The education ministry earlier asked the heads of the public and private educational institutions in the flood-affected areas to turn their establishments into flood shelter centres. The flooding is also expected to severely affect the academic calendar, as no one knows how long it would last. Education ministry officials, however, said classes would be held during the month of Ramadan to make up for the lost time.
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