MIRPURKHAS, Jan 24: Educational process was stalled when floods hit the province of Sindh in 2010 and heavy rains battered whatever was left, the following year. Thousands of schools are yet to be made functional risking the future of hundreds of thousands of children.

The People’s Accountability Commission on Floods (PACF) has advised the government to help restore educational process of children by setting up temporary abodes for the 1,342 totally destroyed and 2,638 partially damaged school buildings.

Mohammad Saleem Abbasi of the PACF launched a report on the impact of floods of 2010 at a press conference  on Tuesday.

He lamented that closed school buildings are yet to be opened depriving schooling for the majority of children belonging to flood-hit areas.

Though, the government made alternate arrangements but for only 29 per cent while 71 per cent of students are still waiting for an official response, he said adding that funds for repairing schools are yet not allocated.

Terming official response unsatisfactory towards education sector during the calamities of last two years, he said the damaged infrastructure had affected 20 per cent drop out in affected districts.

The communities complained as to where to send their children for education when schools are either non-functional or been occupied by affected people, besides destroyed roads.

The report recommended draining out water from areas where it was still stagnating. This was creating multiple issues for the communities, including students’ access to schools.

The report further recommended establishment of temporary learning centers in 18 rain-hit districts, rehabilitation of schools used as relief camps, temporary school structures for damaged schools, provision of safe drinking water to functioning schools and reactivating parent teacher committees and school management committees.