Flood victims take over teaching duties

After 1,700 schools were destroyed by floods, students had nowhere to go.

LAYYAH/ DERA GHAZI KHAN: Over 1,700 schools in southern Punjab were destroyed by last year’s floods. Most of these schools have not yet been repaired and scores of students and parents have complained that there are no education facilities in their vicinity.

“So far small groups of children gather round in the morning and a teacher instructs them,” said Rajanpur resident Kaleem, adding that his four children didn’t have any school books or pencils. “Everything was swept away during the floods and now there are no schools. The children will waste years of their schooling unless something is done soon,” he said. Scores of children have been taking lessons from villagers under the open sky in several flood zones.

“It is freezing and we barely have enough clothing to keep warm. I am not a teacher but I decided that something needed to be done so I teach the children Urdu in the mornings,” said Muzaffargarh resident Haji Safdar (73). Residents of flood zones throughout southern Punjab have said that most children in the flood camps are suffering from pneumonia and a severe cough. “Still we can’t have them do nothing all day because there is no school. So the villagers who went to school have begun teaching them until the schools are rebuilt,” said Sameena Bibi.

Some schools have been set up within temporary camps where the students have taken shelter but the Punjab government has not yet announced its decision regarding the reconstruction of schools in the flood district.

More than 500,000 students were previously enrolled in the destroyed schools. Out of the 1,700 destroyed schools 790 were located in Muzafarhgarh, 375 in Layyah, 175 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 330 in Rajanpur and more than 50 schools in Multan have been destroyed.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Multan District Coordination Officer (DCO) Khurram Ali Agha said that the district administration and the government was determined that these schools would be reconstructed or renovated as soon as possible.

Agha said that district officers all over the province had been preparing lists of the destroyed schools and were also drawing up lists of equipment and furniture required for the schools. “We will send a complete list of the necessary funds by the end of the month,” he said, adding that the government was determined to restore the schools so that the affected students could resume their education as soon as possible.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that he had issued special instructions to all district administrations in the province to repair the destroyed schools as soon as possible.

“Right now we are just working to fill the gap on our own. It will take the government time to get the schools up and running but we don’t want the children to suffer,” said Layyah resident Junaid, adding that he was presently teaching over 200 children in the flood camps mathematics and history. “I used to teach at a school before the floods. Even though there is no school right now there are plenty of students, so I will continue,” he said. Flood victims from all over the province have requested that the government provide the children with books and basic equipment to ensure that they do not fall behind in their studies.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th,  2011.