‘Tent schools’ in the north flood

One school in the north that started operating with tent ‘classrooms’ on Monday was swiftly flooded following heavy rain in Lefkoniko images on social media showed.

According to Yeni Duzen, three schools, Namik Kemal High School and Karakol Primary School in Famagusta, and Cumhuriyet High School in Lefkoniko began holding lessons in tents on Monday, following earthquake safety concerns for the buildings.

At Namik Kemal school over the previous weeks, parents had stopped sending their children to classes in protest over the unfit building.

Following this, ‘education minister’ Nazim Cavusoglu announced that classes would be conducted in tents in the three schools that were deemed unfit.

At Karakol primary on Monday, two parents also protested the fact that children had to go to school in tents, saying it was a “sin” that although seven earthquake victims were at the school, they had to be subjected to this type of education.

Children attending the ‘tent schools’ were able to see which tent their class was housed in on a board hung outside.

According to reports, 12 of 25 tents have been set up at Namik Kemal school for 1,300 students and 100 teachers.

Students meant to be in the tent classrooms will be studying on an alternating basis, with some of them doing distance learning at home.

Speaking after the tent schools opened, Cavusoglu said that 14 classrooms at Namik Kemal were usable, after being evaluated by the earthquake committee.

He said that some of the classes from a nearby school will also be used, after March 30, but that until then some of the students would need to attend class in tents.

Commenting on the flood images and social media reactions by people saying they were ashamed, Cavusoglu said: “Why are you ashamed? This is the reality of the country.”