Three schools located near the Gaznar Beel area of Sujanagar upazila in Pabna have been submerged for about six months since the beginning of the monsoon.
Teachers and students have to use boats to get to the schools, which has posed significant challenges for conducting educational activities.
Meanwhile, the parents of the students have been grappling with feelings of insecurity and fear as the students have to use boats to reach their destinations.
Furthermore, since the beginning of the food, attendance at the schools has decreased significantly.
Therefore, the teachers and students have called upon the government to establish a reliable boat transportation system, ensuring safe and timely access to schools.
Arifa Khatun, a fourth-grader at Bastal Government Primary School in the upazila, said she has to travel to school by boat every day, and her family is worried about her safety.
Arifa said her three-year-old sister Jamila Khatun drowned while boarding a boat earlier this month. Since then, her family has been terrified of the dangers of the monsoon.
"Ever since my sister drowned, my parents have been worried about sending me to school by boat. But there is no alternative. Otherwise, I would have missed a lot of classes,” Arifa said.
Asma Khatun, a student, said she had to pay Tk150 per month to a boatman to go to school. Still, most days she's late for school.
Md Momin Uddin, headmaster of the school, said: "The government established the first school in this village in 2014. We have been struggling to get students from the beginning. At present, there are three schools in the Gaznar Beel area, all of which have been submerged. Of the school's 65 students, only half are able to attend classes.”
A similar incident was observed when this correspondent visited the Sharir Vita Government Primary School in the area. Many students were seen taking classes in wet clothes.
Rohit, a sixth grader of the school, said: "We travel to the school by boat and usually it rains in the morning almost every day. So, on the way to school, we get wet."
Headmaster Shahidul Islam said the school has been submerged since late June and will probably remain the same till mid-November.
Of the 238 students, only 120-150 students could attend classes during this period, he said.
Headmasters of both schools demanded permanent boat facilities from the government so that teachers and students could arrive on time and return home safely.
According to Upazila Education Office sources, about 550 students are enrolled in three schools in the area.
Sujanagar Upazila Primary Education Officer Abdul Jabbar said: "Out of 145 primary schools in Sujanagar upazila, three schools - Shari Vita, Bastal, and Paikpara schools - are submerged in water for about five to six months, making it difficult to conduct educational activities.
"Of the three schools, Bastal and Shari Vita are the worst affected. We have asked the teachers of these schools to encourage parents and students so that educational activities are not disrupted,” he added.
Asked about the demand for arranging boats for the affected schools, the official said they have already submitted a proposal in this regard.
"If we get funds from the government, we will arrange boats for the teachers and students of the schools,” he added.
