Open House: What steps should the government take to restart classes in flood-hit schools?

In many parts of Punjab people have been facing flood fury for the last few weeks. Floods have brought devastation in many villages and small towns as a result of which school education has suffered a lot. Buildings have been damaged completely or partially. To save the students from this situation the schools should be shifted to rented buildings nearby for the time being. Many big palatial houses lying vacant in villages can be used as schools for a short period. Secondly, primary schools can be merged with big schools in nearby cities as the syllabus of government schools is same. Merger for a short period can bring relief. To make it convenient for the students, buses should be arranged for ferrying them to the city schools. To continue their education, the damaged school buildings should be rebuilt at a fast speed. District administration with the help of panchayats should identify the buildings and start the construction and renovation at the earliest. Villagers should also keep a vigil on the progress of the work going on in schools. Priority should be given for the renovation of schools. Help of NGOs can also be sought for this purpose. Students studying in the remote areas where the connectivity is through bridges should be given smart phones and their online classes be started. The government should take serious steps to restart the education in flood-affected areas by constructing the school buildings promptly.

Anjali Kumar

Release funds for repair of schools

Natural calamities like earth quakes, torrential rains and cloudbursts create havoc and make many homeless. The recent floods in Punjab have caused damage to number of government schools. Repair of these schools is need of the hour. The flood water has damaged electronics items like computer labs in schools. The Punjab Government should release adequate funds for the repair of damaged schools. Considering schools as modern temples of education and tailoring the future of the students towards better life needs immediate attention where flood water has damaged walls and other important items in the schools.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Conduct survey of flood-hit schools

Recent floods in Punjab have adversely affected several districts and hundreds of villages. These have caused loss of lives, damaged property including a large number of schools, and disrupted normal life. Hence, it is duty of the Punjab Government to take certain time-bound measures to ensure that the study of students in these flood-affected areas do not suffer. For this, the administration should set up relief camps in affected areas near schools, where students and their families can easily get the bare essentials of life and medical assistance. Officials of the departments concerned should be deputed to restore the regular supply of electricity, internet, and telecommunication services at the earliest possible so that students can access online education and stay in touch with their teachers, and peers. Repairing and rebuilding the damaged infrastructure of schools, such as classrooms, libraries, laboratories, toilets, proper sanitation, hygiene, etc., including link roads, should be carried out on a priority basis. For this purpose, a special time-bound survey should be carried out and accordingly, adequate grant be released immediately. Some alternative modes of transportation should be arranged for the students who have to travel long distances to reach their schools. The deadlines for admissions, assignments, projects, and competitive exams for the affected students be extended. Extra coaching and counselling, if needed, be provided to desirous students.

Dr Kulwant Singh Phull

Teachers race against time

Recently, massive floods caused by heavy rains have severely affected many parts of Punjab, destroying buildings, roads and bridges; killing, injuring and displacing a number of people; inundating fields with standing crops; and causing huge financial losses. Besides spreading water and vector-borne diseases, and paralysing socio-economic activities, these floods have unswervingly impacted the academic routine of school-going children and the potentiality of children’s future development. With roads and pathways submerged in deep water, they had to wade through it to reach schools. Some schools were used as relief camps or evacuation centres. At a time when Punjab was proud of emerging as one of the best performers in the country, the state government had to order the closure of schools keeping in view the safety and security of children. The government should immediately carry out repair work so that the study of students does not suffer more. It should estimate the magnitude of damage to school infrastructure, equipment or facilities, including important documents, records and books and provide enough funds for the purpose. Different stakeholders, including the district education administration, village panchayats, teachers, parents and institutions should make organised efforts to drain out water and clear mud and sludge. The school management should adopt strategies to make up for the loss of studies such as providing additional time to students to complete the syllabus and prepare for examinations. In future, the authorities should be well-prepared to deal with any such eventuality. Schools should be constructed with proper flood resilience.

D S Kang

Teachers hold extra classes

Many parts of Punjab have been severely affected in recent torrential rains, resulting in loss of lives and extensive damage to infrastructure and economy. After the Covid-19 pandemic, subsequent floods have again disrupted the education system of children and adolescents due to destruction of school buildings, displacement of families and the use of some schools as emergency shelters. Many school buildings, furniture and other equipment, and food grains and other grocery items meant for mid-day meal were destroyed and rendered useless. With a large number of schools inundated, the government ordered their closure for many days at a stretch. All affected schools need rapid recovery. Civil society, social organisations and individuals should come forward to help the government in this hour of emergency. The authorities should repair or reconstruct school buildings and replace damaged furniture and equipment at the earliest to regularise students’ access to education services. They should adopt quantitative and qualitative strategies to assess post-disaster education needs. Learning time lost to floods should be adequately compensated by holding extra classes so that students can pursue their studies and make their careers. The current flood situation has exposed official apathy or inability to deal with disaster events triggered by changing weather patterns. The government is well-advised to formulate a disaster management plan to tackle any such problem in future.

Parvaan Singh Kang

Start online classes

Nature is the most beautifully formidable thing in the world. Recently the havoc and fury of nature was unleashed in Punjab in the form of heavy floods. These floods have devastatingly affected the student and school life of Punjab. It’s truly disturbing to hear that around 25 government schools in the flood-affected Lohian block have been completely submerged, with some even being water-logged 8-foot-deep. Even though the government has pushed the school opening date back to July 16, it’s difficult to imagine how long it will take for the students to safely return to their schools. This is a truly concerning situation. The government needs to take immediate action before the scene gets worse. School heads and management committees will soon have the necessary funds for maintenance, cleanliness, painting, and other repairs in primary and secondary schools. CM Bhagwant Mann has allocated Rs 20 crore for primary schools and Rs 7.77 crore for secondary schools to ensure that these necessary repairs are undertaken. It is expected that with this funding, the schools will be able to improve their facilities and provide a better learning environment for the students. But still one of the main topics is unaddressed. If children do not go to schools, they will destroy their valuable time watching smartphones, TV, playing video games, watching videos on YouTube, etc. As a result, no skills such as reading, writing, arithmetic, speaking, etc. will be learnt by them. If the bright kids of Punjab are left uncarved in the right direction at this fragile age, then they won’t be able to hone any of their life skills thus leaving their brain dull and hollow. And an empty mind is the devil’s workshop. To rectify this along with the reconstruction of the schools, online schooling is the only best option left. With the advancement in technology, students will be able to study from the comforts of their homes. We implemented the same way at the time of the pandemic and will be much more familiar with this system than before based on past experiences. By these measures surely the government will gradually be able to regulate the lives of the victims and masses.

Lakshit Jindal

Shift students to other schools

Recent floods in Punjab and adjoining states have caused tremendous loss to crops, roads and houses. The unusual rainfall and consequential release of several lakh cusecs of water from the dam reservoirs / headworks led to breaches at vulnerable places in bunds alongside the river embankments, which widely inundated the surrounding areas and wreaked havoc. Schools have to be shut for safety of students, whereas routine working in offices was paralysed as the entire administration was engaged in relief operations. At few places, people are still facing the spate of deluge where relief operations by the government machinery and voluntary organisations are undergoing. Generally, the flood situation is now improved but numerous houses and school buildings are said to have suffered extensive damages during these incessant rains and flash floods . Many schools can’t be opened because the affected premises require immediate repairs to restart the educational curriculum there. Some safe buildings are under use as relief camps to accommodate the evacuated people from the fury of floods. As such, alternative arrangements have to be made urgently so that the studies of students does not get affected. The safety audit of all the affected buildings is most warranted and wherever needed repair work be initiated immediately. Besides, lifting of silt and garbage for cleanliness of the premises is essential to prevent diseases. Meanwhile till repairs, the damage schools may be temporarily shifted to nearby safe buildings. Wherever possible, online studied may be conducted for the students shifted from risk prone areas. Also the students from such affected schools can be migrated to other institutions at safe locations and suitable transportation be arranged for them. The teachers may be prompted to devote extra time to bridge the learning gaps. It is, indeed, a humanitarian duty of the administration and every citizens to render any kind of assistance to the affected brethren so as to mitigate their sufferings during these troubled periods. Strikingly, the spur of monsoons is yet in full swing and our rivers and rivulets are heavily swollen, we have to be very careful to face any eventuality. The school going children must be provided every support to ensure they do not lag behind in studies under the prevailing circumstances.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

NGOs help rebuild schools

In the Shahkot Lohian area majority of the schools are submerged in deep water. It is really very difficult for students to get back to schools. The school infrastructure is in bad

Shape. Furniture is spoiled with dirty water. There is mud all around. Besides academic loss, fear of getting hurt and sickness prevails. Nearly all the schools buildings are evacuated. It may be a natural disaster but the impact is too much devastated and loss of children education is a matter of concern, which is least given importance. At present the school premises have become shelters for animals. The government has released over Rs 27 crore for repair of flood-affected schools. With this amount, school heads and management committees will undertake maintenance, cleanliness, painting and other necessary repairs in the schools. Each school will get the amount depending on the repair work needed. It will take time to repair the schools. Till then schools can be started in some safer area while making makeshift sheds with the help of army that is deployed there. The students can be shifted to the already running schools. Safety of children and their future should be first priority. Their study should not be affected. NGO’s should come forward to rebuilt and help schools to restart.

SHASHI KIRAN

Explore option of online education

It is unfortunate that many government school buildings are damaged in recent folds in the state, throwing a serious challenge of keeping the tempo of education running smoothly and in continuity. However, the government must ensure that the process of education in schools is not interrupted in any way. For this a comprehensive construction plan of new buildings and repairing damaged ones has to be immediately undertaken in a time-bound manner, temporary arrangements in make-shift tents and alternative accommodation such as buildings on rent in consultation with village panchayats must be made till then. Where such arrangements are not immediately feasible, the options of online education must be explored to prevent the loss of studies.

Jagdish Chander

Rope in NRIs for funding

No doubt recent floods in Punjab have created havoc in public life and the worst sufferers are none but farmers and schoolchildren. The government should immediately build schools damaged in recent floods. The major focus should be connecting schools to the internet. Henceforth, the Punjab government should lay emphasis on online teaching. It should be made mandatory for all government schools to make their Youtube channel and start giving online education. All lessons for all subjects should be made available on the website so that students can get a printout from anywhere. For students below the poverty line, free tablets should be provided. Also, our state government should also rope in NRIs who can provide funding to the village panchayats so that sarpanch and panch can also play a leading role in streamlining the education system devastated in recent floods.

Harvinder Singh Chugh

Follow DAV institutions’ pattern

Instead of finding a temporary solution for the damaged government school building due to recent floods, the government should go for long-term permanent solution. All state government schools, colleges and other educational institutions, government clinics, dispensaries, hospitals, parks and libraries maintained by the local administration should be renamed. For example, a government school is renamed as Shri Ram Nath Government School or SRN Government School, this is in memory of Shri Ram Nath and family members of the deceased person will pay yearly fixed amount for the maintenance of the school building. This experiment is successfully implemented by DAV institutions in different parts of the country. The management and control of the said institution would remain with the government. There is no harm if a civil hospital is called Shri Ram Nath Civil Hospital. Similarly, what is the harm if Aam Aadmi Clinic is renamed as Shri Ram Nath Clinic. Hope the concerned government departments would pay attention to this proposal.

Naresh Johar

Take help of voluntary institutions

First of all the government should arrange for efficient and skilled workers who can do the repairs of school buildings, roads and all other things in the least possible time. The government should also take the help of voluntary organisations for repair works of government schools. The students should be encouraged to have online classes so that their studies are not affected at all.

Sanjay Chawla

Repair approach roads to schools

Punjab, particularly Malwa region, has experienced the most devastating floods in recent history. In the Majha region, Tarn Taran is still in the grip of flood waters. The brunt of this was borne by rural populace who lost their cattle, crops, poultry and shelters including many government school buildings which suffered extensive damage to furniture and classroom environment which cannot be restored overnight. But one can prioritise activities, if possible. The foremost priority should be given to the approach roads of the school and tube wells if any, and then to the ground areas in classrooms, verandahs and open space. The wiring and fixtures must be checked, dried and re-fixed for normal use. All windows may be kept open 24×7 to enhance ventilation and speed up drying. Libraries will have to replace books, if damaged in floods. The aftermath of this man-made calamity blamed on nature, has an educative value too. The consequence of reckless felling of trees and raising structures obstructing the natural flow of rain water must be drilled and correlated in all subjects. Wherever possible, senior boys and girls should be associated in the process of restoration. Don’t forget that they have innovative ideas. I remember that when our schools which were closed to accommodate refugees in 1947, reopened after three months, we enjoyed cleaning and wiping window panes. The work of re-painting the exterior and the boundary wall may, however, be deferred on account of moisture. Perhaps too many slogans and mottos on the building can be avoided, as they are in the west. These floods demand that all our education, all subjects, should be geared to meet the challenges of climate change which will now manifest itself in the shape of global burning as well as global drowning, as we have seen. It would be wrong to believe that this was the last flood.

Prof Mohan Singh

QUESTION

Rising humidity levels following incessant rains in the region have led to a sudden spurt in the cases of conjunctivitis, commonly known as eye flu. What should be done to check the spread of this contagious viral disease?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (Aug 10).