Shelters in schools affect education in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2007, 02:42 GMT]
Education activities of children in Trincomalee district are badly affected due 17 government schools being used as temporary shelters for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), educational sources said.

The people, who fled their homes due to the military offensive carried out by the Sri Lanka military in Muttur East area in August 2006, still live with inadequate facilities in welfare centers. They face a shortage of tents and lack of sanitary facilities. Mothers with small children face a shortage of milk powder and clean drinking water, civil society sources in Trincomalee said.

Meanwhile, the administrations in functioning schools have organized two school sessions to cope with the increased number of student population due to the influx of refugee students.

Even though the IDPs undergo many hardships in welfare centers, they are reluctant to go back to their own places due to the prevailing insecure condition in the region, civil sources said. Though many displaced Muslims from Muttur returned home recently, Tamils fear to return back to their homes.

IDPs say they will go back only if hostilities cease and normalcy returns, according social workers in the shelters.

According to UNHCR reports, 4190 IDPs from 1413 families are currently staying in 26 welfare centers in Trincomalee district. This figure excludes people who fled to the LTTE controlled Vaharai district.

The places of the welfare centers, the number of IDP families, and number of IDP members follow:

Trincomalee Divisional Secretariat division

St. Joseph’s College 98 256

St. Nicolas Vidyalayam 47 170

Linganagar Konalinga Vidy. 43 113

St. Mary’s College 60 197

Palaiyuttu church 49 159

Cultural Hall 52 167

Shanmuga Hindu Ladies’ College 54 172

Hindu College-Primary Unit 34 110

Vigneswara Maha Vidyalayam 59 168

Muttur Divisional Secretariat Division

Iruthayapuram church 188 562

Kanguveli village 232 802 Kiliveddy school 59 172

Seruvil Divisional Secretariat Division

Thanganagar village 146 151

Thanganagar school 50 151

Kinniya Divisional Secretariat Division

Eechchenthivu Vipulananda Vidy. 78 312

Alankerny Vidyalayam 120 414

Thampalakamam-Nayanmar Thidal 44 114