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Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
TEMPORARY shelter, furniture and educational material are urgently required at schools in districts affected by Cyclone Idai, a Rapid Joint Education Needs Assessment (RJENA) report prepared by Non-Governmental Organisations has indicated.

The report compiled by the education cluster comprising Plan International, CARE, Save the Children, UNICEF and World Vision identified Chimanimani, Chipinge, Bikita, Zaka, Mutare and Buhera as the worst affected districts.

Save the Children leads the cluster.

Schools opened this week, but a number of those affected by the floods are operating under difficult conditions while a few others are yet to open.

Most schools, according to the report, lost structures, furniture, textbooks and other material hence the need for urgent intervention by the Government, donors and other stakeholders to ensure Cyclone Idai victims get quality education.

“Efforts must be put to ensure that when schools re-open, children have safe learning spaces.

“This therefore means that temporary learning spaces must be established to allow access to safe learning spaces . . .

“Replacement for learning and teaching materials that were also destroyed or lost, must be provided in sufficient numbers to allow learning to take place,” reads the report.

It was noted that short term measures were required to ensure continuity and quality education pending proper reconstruction of the school structures.

“Emergency interventions are needed to ensure schools remain open, learning spaces safe and school environments conducive to learning.

“Priorities include: establishment of temporary learning spaces, provision of latrines and handwashing facilities, repairs to classrooms and other essential infrastructure and provision of teaching and learning materials,” reads the report.

In Chimanimani, 19 schools were affected by Cyclone Idai.

Out of the 19 schools, 11 are in need of temporary learning space.

Twelve out of 19 schools reportedly lost 25 percent to 100 percent of their teaching and learning materials.

Toilets, water and recreational facilities were also lost in the violent floods.

The report urged donors to assist.

“Donors should provide the necessary financial support to provide a comprehensive education in response to all cyclone affected schools, in addition to promoting Early Recovery and Building Back through funding of DRR preparedness and capacity building programming.”

Psychological support for teachers affected by the cyclone was also recommended.

“Teachers will teach better when they can cope with the impacts of the cyclone. A mechanism for the systematic provision of psychosocial support to teachers therefore needs to be put in place,” further noted the report.

Teachers at some schools, had their houses destroyed and they lost their food stocks, hence the need to attend to their basic needs to ensure quality education to the children.