Imagine studying in a school that comes to pick you up, and every time you look out the window, there’s a different scene outside! Floating schools are a real thing in Bangladesh. But however fancy they look, the reason behind this initiative is a serious one.
When global warming and frequent floods posed a threat in providing education to students, one group came forward and found a unique solution to the problem. The awesome folks over at Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha have truly taken learning to a new level.
Finding an innovative way to fight the floods, the organisation, based in Bangladesh, came up with the idea of floating schools that practically picks children up from their homes!
The concept is the brainchild of a Bangladeshi architect, Mohammed Rezwan. He and his team have taken great care to try and educate children that otherwise might have never had a chance at a real life. Due to global warming and rising sea levels, Bangladesh is always at a risk of floods. This is particularly problematic for the families residing in low-lying lands, as roads are impassable and children aren’t able to attend classes. To fight this rapid climate change and ensure that children are not deprived of an education, Mohammed Rezwan begun designing schools on boats .
Today, there is a fleet of around a hundred boats that act as floating schools to provide education to kids.
It’s not just the schools either; the organisation provides other facilities such as healthcare and information about agriculture and financial management via boats. Presently, the group runs a fleet of floating schools, libraries, health clinics and floating training centres, all equipped with wireless internet access, serving close to 97,000 people in flood-prone areas. In the words of the director of the organisation, Mohammed Rezwan:
“It is common to see school dropouts in this region. It was difficult for me to accept the situation. I thought that if the children cannot come to the school for lack of proper transportation, then the school should come to them, by boat.”
Watch this video to see how floating schools are providing uninterrupted education to kids in Bangladesh: