Dubai: Thousands of students from Kerala returned to school in the UAE, which reopened on Sunday, but hundreds couldn’t make it back in time after the worst deluge in the southern Indian state last month.
School officials and teachers told Gulf News that many teachers and students from Kerala had to reschedule their flights and travel to airports far from their locations, sometimes as distant as Hyderabad and Bengaluru, to return to the UAE in time for school.
Hundreds more are yet to return.
Dr Thakur Mulchandani, principal of Sunrise English Private School in Abu Dhabi, said many students from Kerala were absent on the first day. “Around 70 per cent of our 2,900 students came to school today.”
Anna Pagdiwalla, principal, Mayoor Private School in Abu Dhabi, said: “Out of our 1,600 students, attendance was at 80 per cent and that’s due to the unfortunate flooding in Kerala.”
Officials and teachers said schools have been flexible with those who could not report back on time, offering to give them exemptions if they officially intimate the reasons for their delay.
While schools in Dubai also reported non-attendance of some students and teachers from Kerala, those who came back shared the stories of their experiences in the devastating floods that killed hundreds and displaced thousands.
Lessons of sharing, caring, equality and resilience were recounted by students directly affected by the floods and those who witnessed the devastation while participating in the relief efforts.
It was an unforgettable vacation for Michael Leo, a grade 12 student of Delhi Private School in Dubai, whose family had to vacate their house in Thrissur district of Kerala due to flooding.
“All the destruction I have seen has definitely affected me. Many people have to start from scratch now. We need to protect people from falling victims to such calamities and also help them rebuild their lives. More than just wanting to help, I feel an obligation to help,” said Leo, who is busy sending relief materials from here after he got back on Wednesday.
Fawaz Basheer, a grade 9 student of New Indian Model School in Dubai, who assisted his father and friends in relief works for two weeks, said the scenes he witnessed at relief camps and destroyed homes were heartbreaking.
“It was very saddening to see people beg for drinking water, irrespective of their background. The floods have taught people that all are equal and there is no point fighting in the name of differences. We shouldn’t be arrogant about what we have and we should not waste food and other resources.”
Even the younger, primary schoolchildren have been sharing what they experienced, saw and heard, said Sheena Beas, an English teacher at an Indian school in Dubai.
“Thankfully, our students were not affected badly. But many had stories about what they saw and the experiences of their relatives. They spoke about the unforgettable ‘twist’ to their vacation that they never expected,” Beas said.
— With inputs from Sami Zaatar, Staff Reporter
Unforgettable experiences
Michael Leo, grade 12, Delhi Private School, Dubai
Fawaz Basheer, grade 9, New Indian Model School, Dubai
Shahanas Basheer, B. Com student, Success Point, Sharjah
Farva Nadeem, grade 11, Delhi Private School, Dubai