Flood leaves kids school-less in Bihar

Madhepura (Bihar): It has been a prolonged vacation for students in Northern Bihar but now they want to return to their classrooms. But many of them have lost their books in the flood.

“I am a Class 10 student. We lost out house to the flood. The current of the water was so high that we were not even able to take our books or clothes along with us,” says Vikram Kumar.

The floods in Bihar not only washed away people's home, it also took away their schools. These students have been rendered school-less for the past three months. They have been given food and shelter, but now they want to return to their studies.

“My exams are approaching but I can’t sit for them as my books have been washed away in the flood. Now, I think I will never be able to study further,” says a class seven student Priyanka Kumari.

“I feel helpless, all my books have been washed away in flood. I want to study but I don’t have my books with me,” says a class three student Nilu Kumari.

Schools are under water or doubling up as flood relief centers while teachers are engaged in managing relief camps and for students it is a long flood vacation.

As many as 150 primary and middle schools have been completely wiped off due to the floods. In all there are 2,399 schools out of which 7,480 schools in five north Bihar districts have been badly hit by the floods. This has affected 7.5 lakh students of Kosi region.

“The situation here is really bad. When they don’t have enough means to eat, how can they afford to study? These poor kids have lost their hope of studying,” says a teacher Nilam Kumari.

For the moment some Alternative Learning Centres have been setup up in mega relief camps enrolling over 30,000 students. Moreove, Rs 1000 have been allocated to each student to help him to buy teaching aids as blackboards, copies and books.

As Bihar struggles to get back on its feet and rebuilds homes and lives, students, parents and teachers are hoping that schools buildings and the academic calendar will be restored soon.

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