6 Southern Districts: Over 1,250 edn institutions hit hard by ‘Remal’

At least 1,259 educational institutions in six southern districts have been affected by Cyclone Remal, according to education offices.

The institutions include primary and secondary schools, colleges, and madrasas.

Some of the schools made of tin and wood have been destroyed by the storm, while tin roofs of some others have been blown away.

Playgrounds and ground floors of many educational institutions have been damaged as floodwater entered there. Tidal surge caused flash floods during the cyclone that hit the country's coastal areas on Sunday.

Academic activities in the affected educational institutions are being hampered, said officials and teachers.

In Patuakhali's Kalapara upazila, Menhazpur Haqqani Secondary School, which was made of tin and wood, collapsed.

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"We don't know when our school will be rebuilt and when our classes will resume. We want to go to school soon," said Rabiul Hossain, an eighth grader of the school.

"We are trying to build a makeshift structure to continue classes. It will take at least one week to resume our academic activities," said Ashraf Uzzaman, headmaster of the school.

Around 250 students study there, he added.

At least 256 primary schools and 218 other educational institutions, including secondary schools, colleges, and madrasas, have been hit by the cyclone in Patuakhali, according to local education offices.

Repair of the educational institutions may cost Tk 20 crore, said officials at the district education office.

"We are preparing a list of the affected schools and will send it quickly to the higher authorities seeking funds for repair," said Molla Bakhtiar Rahman, Patuakhali district primary education officer.

In Pirojpur, 174 primary schools and 220 other educational institutions, including secondary schools, colleges, and madrasas, have been hit by Remal.

"The cyclone has damaged the tin roof of our madrasa," Martuja Billah, principal of Sapleza Nesaria Alim Madrasa in Mathbaria upazila, told The Daily Star.

"We are still collecting information about the damage. I think that the number of the affected schools may go up," said Idris Ali Azizi, the district education officer.

Besides, at least 171 primary schools have been damaged by the cyclone in Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira.

Of them, 67 schools are in Satkhira, 66 in Bagerhat, and 38 in Khulna, said Md Moslem Uddin, Khulan divisional deputy director at the Directorate of Primary Education.

As per an estimation, the damage may result in a loss of over Tk 2 crore, he added.

Mohammadpur Government Primary School in Khulna's Batiaghata upazila has 1,376 students.

"We already have a shortage of classrooms. On top of that, a portion of tin roof of a classroom has been blown away," said Md Moniruzzaman, head teacher at the school.

Moslem Uddin said classes are being hampered at many affected schools.

In Jhalakathi, 50 primary schools, 95 secondary schools and colleges, as well as 75 madrasas have been damaged by the cyclone, according to local education offices.

[Our correspondents from Patuakhali, Pirojpur, and Khulna contributed to this report.]