The Star Online

Tuesday November 9, 2010

Schools clean up premises after floods

ALOR SETAR: Teachers and students returned to their schools to clean up and assess the damage caused by the floods that hit the state.

More than 100 SK Taman Rakyat pupils, clad in tracksuits and T-shirts, together with about 70 teachers and Parent-Teacher Association members turned up at the school as early as 7am yesterday to help clean the premises.

Principal Raihan Fakurdin said she was surprised as she did not expect the pupils to turn up without any notice from the school.

“However, I’m glad they came. They spent over five hours to wash away the mud and debris from the classrooms so the school session can start tomorrow (today).

Working together: SK Taman Rakyat pupils cleaning up the classrooms after the floodwaters had receded yesterday.

“The furniture was not washed away because the classrooms were locked.

“The floodwaters entered the school library on Thursday but the students managed to save the books,” she said.

Meanwhile, SMK Sultanah Bahiyah reported losses of up to RM50,000 after the school orchestra’s instruments were damaged beyond repair by the floodwaters.

Principal Rahinun Mohd Noor said they failed to save the guitars, drum sets, uniforms and amplifiers as the water reached knee-level on Thursday.

“The musical instruments were accumulated over the years with the formation of the orchestra in 2005. The computers in the teacher’s room were also damaged.

“This is the worst flood since the school was established 40 years ago.

“Even the ‘great’ flood of 2005 was not as bad.

“Then, the water only reached the road leading to the school,” she said.

Rahinun added that the district education office had also sent workers to clean the schools.