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| Sunday, 8 June 2003 |
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More than Rs. 10m for reconstruction of 26 schools ruined in floods by Anjana Gamage The Ministry of Education has estimated that more than Rs.10 million would be needed to reconstruct 26 schools in the flood-affected areas of the Sabaragamuwa, Western and Southern provinces. " This preliminary calculation is only for ten schools in Ratnapura, four in Kalutara and 12 in the Southern Province", an education ministry spokesman said. Although most schools in the flood-affected areas were re-opened from Monday, there was a big drop in daily school attendance, sources said. Meanwhile, investigations, conducted by the Ministry of Education in the areas of Matara, Hambanthota, Ratnapura, Kalutara and Galle districts, had found 157 schools to have been fully or partly destroyed by the floods and resultant landslides. These include 64 schools in the Ratnapura district, 16 in the Kalutara district and 28 in the Matara district 44 in the Galle district and four in the Hambanthota district. According to ministry sources, important documents, computers, technical equipment and large amounts of furniture have also been destroyed. " We have identified three key areas that have large numbers of displaced students and where school buildings were destroyed, ministry officials said, explaining that 148 schools in Nivithigala in Ratnapura, 48 schools in Hakmana in Matara and 94 in Wallasmulla in Hambanthota had been completely destroyed. Students in these areas will be provided with alternative solutions for their studies, sources said. More than 40 students were reported killed, several more were reported missing and more than 100,000 students were displaced by the floods and landslides that occurred on May 17. Thakshila Chathurangi Abeyratne, a star of the "Sellam Gedera" teledrama series was one of the victims snatched away by the landslides in Deniyaya. She was popular among children who have made the telecast every Tuesday at 7.30 pm, a 'must watch' programme. Thakshila was a year seven student of Deniyaya Madya Maha Vidyalaya. The flood not only grabbed Thakshila, but also her whole family including father, mother and small brother. According to the Principal of Deniyaya Madya Maha Vidyalaya, K.A. Susil Premanath, Thakshila was a brilliant student and she had excelled in the performing arts at various occasions in the school. She had written several poems and essays for the newspapers. Her brother, S.B.C. Abeythunga was a year-six student at the same school . |
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