Guwahati: Students in Assam prevented by a devastating from attending school for several weeks have found a new way to continue with their studies.
Teachers have started floating schools where they teach students on boats. They conduct boat classes for two hours in the afternoon daily. The boat, in fact, travels and picks up students from their homes before starting their classes, reports inuth.com.
Assam’s severe floods have claimed hundreds of lives and left thousands homeless. The incessant rains have made it difficult for the people of the northeastern Indian state to carry on with their daily lives. A number of schools across the states remain submerged under water.
“We began conducting the classes on the boat six months ago. It proved a blessing for the students during the floods,” Jahidul Islam of Jhai Foundation was quoted as saying.
Jahidul stated that the parents initially expressed concerns and hesitated to send their child to the floating school. However, watching their students learn amid the current situation, they were now happy.
A number of schools in the nearby areas remain shut due to floods every year. “Floods damage our houses and crops. But thanks to the classes on the boat, the studies of our children don’t get affected,” said a parent whose children study in the floating school. Following the success of the floating schools, demands of more such initiatives have come up.
More than23,000 of the 51,898 schools in the state have been affected due to the floods. While these students have floating schools for continuing with their studies, a number of students have been forced to stop going to school due to the catastrophic floods.