http://www.maginternational.org/news/sri-lanka-school-reopenings-an-essential-part-of-conflict-recovery/
SRI LANKA: School reopenings an essential part of conflict recovery
The newly-reopened school in Mulliyavalai West. The sign on the roof was to prevent bombing of the building.
When the conflict in Sri Lanka restarted in 2007, the effects were felt at Mulliyavalai Kalaimahal Vithiyalayam school in Mulliativu District – the heartland of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory.
Some of the 600-plus students were forcibly recruited as child soldiers and, while the 33 teachers managed to carry on with classes until the conflict finally reached Mulliyavalai, the school was abandoned in April 2009 and turned into a temporary hospital by the LTTE.
As families fled the area, the children had to move first to Mulliativu and were then sent to camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Vavuniya, where they were able to continue their education in schools set up by the Government.
'Now that MAG has surveyed the area and the army cleared the mines and bombs, we feel free to travel to school and can play in the playground without fear.'- Arunachalam Shalini, 16
The school was badly affected by the conflict and classrooms lack desks and chairs. But, says the Principal, 'Going to school makes the students feel like life is going back to normal.'
Children play safely in the school grounds following MAG’s survey of the area.
[Photos: MAG Sri Lanka]
The civil war ended in May 2009, but before people could go home the area needed to be surveyed for mines and other remnants of conflict, which had been used extensively during the conflict and contaminated the north of the country.
MAG identified one minefield and several items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Mulliyavalai West GN Division in March this year. These were cleared by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), enabling people to return – and the school to be reopened – on 26 April.
So far, 400 students and 16 teachers have gone back to the school, with a further 300 pupils expected.
“We are very happy to have reopened the school now that MAG has completed their survey and SLA have cleared the mines and UXO,” says the Principal, Ganapathypillai Jayaweerasingam.
“Nowadays the students’ minds are still upset, they find it difficult to concentrate on their studies and they are very busy helping their parents try to rebuild their houses. However, going to school makes them feel like life is going back to normal.”
Says 16-year-old Arunachalam Shalini, who is studying for her exams:
“Some of my relations were killed in the war, and I find it difficult to concentrate as I am very upset by what has happened. However, now that MAG has surveyed the area and SLA cleared the mines and bombs, at least we feel free to travel to school and we can play in the playground without fear.”
Reopening schools is an essential part of conflict recovery.
MAG supports this process by surveying and then clearing hazardous areas in the communities they are located in, or partnering with other demining agencies who clear the areas we identify.
The army has helped the community clean up the grounds and UNICEF has provided tarpaulin sheets for the children to sit on, as there are no chairs or desks. The school is also still lacking stationery and books, while nothing remains of the computer and science labs or library. However, the Education Department plans to provide stationery in the next few weeks and the Principal has requested help from a number of non-governmental organisations that support the country’s schools.
MAG has continued to support Mulliyavalai since the resettlement, providing information to people on the risks from remnants of conflict in their area and arranging immediate clearance by the SLA of any further UXO found in the area.
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