2 months after Mocha hit Rakhine State, many schools not yet repaired

It has been two months since the cyclone Mocha hit Rakhine State (on 14 May) and many schools in rural areas of the State are yet be repaired.

U Maung San Win, a village elder informed that the roof of one school building in Kanangtaung village under Ponna Kyunt township was repaired, but the remaining one is yet to repaired.

"There are two schools in our village. Roof of one school was repaired. But the other one was completely damaged and repairing is yet to be done. The children are attending classes in the repaired
school," he said.

Currently, the students are divided into two batches and classes are organized one batch by another.

 A teacher, who does not want to be named, informed that the students are divided into grades and years. As one school is not yet ready for use, the staff are facing difficulties.

Many damaged schools in villages like Bura Baung၊  Thinfaw Gway, Tharet Okh, Ngata Baung, Pale Kai, Minthar Sike, Thonkua, Pring Chaung under Kyauk Taw township are not being repaired.

A resident of Bura Baung village informed that the school in their village was completely collapsed. “It has not been repaired till date.

“The government promised to do it, but in vain. We are facing problems in repairing our private houses also. We just can not rely on the government for the job,” he added.

Roofs of several schools in the State are now being covered with tarpaulins after the cyclone destroyed those. Many students are now attending classes in religious buildings and Dharma halls in rural areas.

Daw Ma Soe, a responsible parent, said that the authorities should repair the collapsed schools as soon as possible so that the children attend classes. Now it becomes inconvenient for them to go to schools.

Out of 3,193 basic schools in Rakhine State, 1,337 school buildings were badly damaged by Mocha on 14 May .

On 1 June, the military council announced that 2,410 schools were already opened in Rakhine State along with the schools across Myanmar.

But many schools in the rural areas under the townships of Sittwe, Pohn Gyun,Rathidaung, Ponna Kyunt, Kyauk Taw,  Mrauk U and Pauk Taw are yet to be repaired and opened.

Caption: The school building in Kangtaung village, which has not been repaired even after two months of  Mocha