Fewer students attend class amid quake fears

Parents in Cebu City are still wary of sending their children back to school.

In Buhisan Elementary School, principal Virginia Cainghog said attendance was down 70 percent even if only two classrooms suffered minor damage.

“On the first day of school, the attendance is already okay, but there are still students who are afraid but still went to school. For most, it’s usually the parents who are afraid to send their kids back to school,” she told Cebu Daily News.

The back portion of the two classrooms in the school building’s third floor was cordoned off due to the debris that had yet to be cleared.

The wall had cracks and move even if pushed slightly, teacher Grace Anadol said.

Renovation

“Even if we cordon off the area at the back of the classroom, there are still students who go there and play,” Anadol said.

She said only 27 out of her 50 Grade 3 students attended class yesterday.

She said they will hold classes in the school’s stage which was partitioned and is still undergoing renovation.

Anadol underwent stress debriefing conducted by the Cebu City government last month.

She said she also shared what she learned to the students.

DUCK, COVER, HOLD

“I told them to be prepared and not to panic. They should duck, cover and hold so we just stay in our classroom and not cause a stampede if we try to get out,” Anadol said.

She said there was a stampede in the school building during the February 2012 earthquake but no one was hurt.

Anadol said she expects more students to come to school tomorrow.

She told here students to tell their classmates not to be afraid and return to school since their second periodical exam is scheduled later this week.

Buhisan Elementary School was one of three schools inspected by Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella along with Toong Integrated School and Pamutan Elementary School.

Tarpaulins 

Labella said they ordered 100 tents to serve as roofs for the makeshift classrooms. But it will take two weeks to deliver them.

In the meantime, he will give used advertising tarpaulins.

“We’ve delivered the tarpaulin in Toong today (yesterday), we’ll deliver also to Buhisan tomorrow (today). They can just use bamboo poles as skeleton for the tarpaulins. It’s more useful as it can accommodate more. There was no problem in Pamutan,” Labella said.

Toong Integrated School Principal Edwin Villaflor said six classrooms were damaged and considered unsafe for use.

Curtains had to be placed on each side of the tents to protect children from the rain.

Another class was held at the school’s stage while some sports centers were used as classrooms.

Rama also visited some schools in the city’s urban barangays yesterday. “I’m glad with the initiative of the principals,” he said. /Jose Santino S. Bunachita, Correspondent