Schools Flooded, Kids Expect New Semester to Begin Soon

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, July 26, 2003

Schools Flooded, Kids Expect New Semester to Begin Soon

The most important and arduous daily work for Yin Liming, a local education official, is to take pictures of those flooded schools in his hometown in Anhui Province in east China.

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The most important and arduous daily work for Yin Liming, a local education official, is to take pictures of those flooded schools in his hometown in Anhui Province in east China.

"I always feel sorry for the kids whose schools were washed away by the floodwater," said Yin, 57.

The flood that has battered the Huaihe River since June has so far killed 29 people, destroyed 200,000 houses and left 1.2 million people homeless in east China.

"I've to help the governments know the actual losses through mysnapshots," said Yin, who is in charge of education at Gaotai Township of Funan County, Anhui.

Yin showed Xinhua his unique reports about the middle and primary schools affected by the flood with detailed statistics andphotos he shot, with his own captions.

However, he can only make his way to the schools concealed underwater by boat since his township was the worst hit area during China's efforts to divert floods to ease pressures in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River.

"With governmental relief funds allocated according to our conditions, we will restore our schools as quickly as possible when the flood recedes," he said.

However, others, especially the children, might not be aware ofthe grave fate of their schools.

At Chigou Village of Yingshang County, more than 100 kilometerseast of Funan County, 11-year-old Qi Peng was playing cards with seven lads in a tent where his family was taking shelter after their home were inundated.

"The flood will recede soon," Qi said. "Our teachers said they would notify us with the village's loudspeaker when new semester begins."

"But my schoolbag is still trapped at home by the flood," said Qi, who is now in grade four at his village primary school.

Though the water level in the mainstream of the Huaihe River ineast China is dropping gradually, the water level in Yingshang County are still on the rise, inundating or damaging 17 of the 20 primary schools at Qi's town.

"Going to school was more fun than playing cards," said Qi, whooffered to recite a poem of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) for reporters.

The youth is probably also unaware that the electricity poles in his village were all blown down by the recent tornado, let alone the loudspeaker.

Local officials said they had no idea when the power supply to the village would be restored.

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