by PDI
Ten-year-old Asnarul Orim usually looks forward to returning to school after the summer break like the rest of the 200 elementary pupils of Layag-layag, an island village of this city.
But with the start of the new academic year this June, he is somewhat reluctant, hounded by the thought of an early-morning ritual—wading and swimming for 2 kilometers to his school in Barangay Talon-talon on the mainland.
In some areas during high tide, the water level rises up to 4 feet.
“I was always late for school. I could not attend my morning classes on time,†he said. “This is my second time to be in Grade 1 because of tardiness.â€
Most of the residents of Layag-layag are fishermen and seaweed farmers. Their children miss their classes because it normally takes them an hour to wade and swim to school.
It was the same reason Orim had to repeat Grade 1 anew this school year. And because he is a regular flunker, he is worried that he may not realize his dream of becoming a policeman someday.
Garbage bag
Sharifa Jamil, 9, would put her school uniform along with books and notebooks inside her bag before wrapping it in thick garbage bag to prevent it from getting wet. With the covered bag on her head, she would wade or swim to school in her underwear.
“When we reach the fishpond, we wash ourselves. We then change into our uniforms and walk to the school,†Sharifa said.
Older boys like Benhur Amirul, 12, would wear worn-out shorts and shirts in crossing the water channel. Their uniforms and other things are also tucked inside their bags wrapped in plastic materials.
“We wash ourselves to clean up before attending our classes,†Amirul said.
Parents have another cause for worry these days because the government set a younger age requirement for children entering preschool.
Ruaina Mawadi, said she could not imagine 5-year-olds wading and swimming to school.
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