Teachers step up for flood-hit students

Coming to the aid of students from flood-affected areas in Amritsar, several teachers’ unions, District Education Department and Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) have announced a series of initiatives to provide financial and psychological support, especially aimed at helping students cover their semester fees.

The Master Cadre Teachers’ Union, Punjab, and the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), comprising government school teachers, have raised financial aid to cover the board registration fees for students of classes VIII, X and XII. While the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has not yet responded to the DTF’s request to waive registration fees for classes VIII and X, teachers have stepped in to help the students.

Ashwani Awasthi, district unit head of the DTF, said, “We sought fee relief for flood-affected students, as many are unable to pay and register. With just three months left in the completion of the academic cycle, there’s a real risk of dropouts.”

Every year, board students are required to register and pay a fee of Rs 250 to PSEB. Owing to the current situation, the Master Cadre Teachers’ Union has collected Rs 1.5 lakh to support students who are unable to pay this fee.

District Education Officer (DEO), Amritsar, Rajesh Sharma, said that the Education Department is providing school bags and learning materials to students enrolled in government elementary, middle, high and senior secondary schools in the flood-affected villages of Ajnala and Lopoke tehsils.

“Learning materials have already been distributed to 270 students at PM Shri Government Senior Secondary School, Ramdass. After inspecting schools in villages such as Jatta Pachhian, Nangal Sohal, Mandarwala, Machhiwala and Nisoke, we have issued further instructions to ensure student safety in response to ongoing flood warnings from the Meteorological Department,” he said.

Meanwhile, during its recent Syndicate meeting, GNDU authorities considered a proposal to waive or cover one semester’s fees for students from the rural and border areas that were severely impacted by the recent floods.

“These decisions were taken considering the demands from both students and teachers who are concerned about the financial challenges faced by the flood-affected families. We aim to prevent any disruption in their education. Students from the impacted villages will be supported, but we must first identify them. As part of our efforts, we have also decided to adopt a village for rehabilitation and have already collected funds for the purpose,” said Dr Karamjeet Singh Chahal, Registrar, GNDU.

In addition to the financial aid, the Department of Psychology at GNDU, in collaboration with ‘Help a Child of India’ NGO, conducted a psychosocial support session for flood-affected children in Malikpur village, Ajnala. The intervention aimed to provide critical mental health support to children coping with the aftermath of the floods.

Led by Assistant Professor (Dr) Balbinder Singh and supported by six psychology students, the team engaged with children at a child-friendly space established by the NGO. The session focused on helping children process their traumatic experiences through structured activities and psychological first-aid principles.

During the session, it was observed that all children exhibited signs of trauma, with girls showing relatively higher levels of anxiety than boys. However, a sense of hope emerged when children shared their dreams of becoming army personnel, doctors and IAS officers, reflecting their resilience in the face of hardship.

“This practical engagement provided our students with valuable experience in trauma-informed care while offering meaningful support to vulnerable children,” said Dr Balbinder Singh. “It reflects our department’s commitment to applying psychological science for community welfare,” he added.