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Lessons
amidst displaced people and students Although a spokesperson for the Centre for National Operations said they had managed to reduce the number of schools used as refugee camps from 400 to 159 and that programmes were underway for students to make up for the work they had missed, we saw that even in Colombo district some junior schools in Dehiwela, Ratmalana and some senior schools in Moratuwa were still housing refugees. One such school is St. Mary's College, in Moratuwa, a junior school upto grade five and the students comprising 38 girls and 35 boys are finding it difficult to concentrate on their work because most of the classrooms have been turned into temporary shelters for the refugees. This has led to most of the students not attending school, authorities said. Lt. S.I.P Sirimane who is in charge of the camp in this school said sometimes the students go to the church next door where some lessons are conducted. But the teachers complain that it is not the proper atmosphere for students. "This camp houses 362 displaced persons and it has been a big problem for the teachers as well as the students. The students lack basic facilities such as textbooks, desks and chairs, but sanitation is their biggest problem," Lt. Sirimane said. Studies at Sri Saddharmodaya Vidyalaya which has up to O/Level classes and around 600 students have also been disrupted as it has been turned into a refugee centre. Temporary classes are being conducted at the Purana Viharaya temple but the teachers complain that this is an unsatisfactory situation. " We have no blackboard and all our teaching charts are in the school. How can we teach in such a situation? Thanks to the NGOs the children have been given uniforms , books and pens, and we are able to carry on some classes however difficult the situation is. The children come to school mainly in the hope of getting something from the NGOs," a senior teacher said. |
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