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Tsunami took away 450 students, 16 teachers in Hambantota
By Premasiri Weerasinghe
Some 450 boys and girls who attended schools in the Hambantota educational circuit are reported to be dead or missing after the tsunami battered the area. Education Director P. Munasinghe said the most number of casualties were from Zahira Muslim National School where approximately 200 are listed as missing or dead. The toll at the Hambantota Primary School is about 125, with 64 from St. Mary's National School and 3 from Kirinda Muslim School. Theraputta Primary at Ambalantota and some other schools have a toll of about 40 dead or missing.

However the exact number of dead or missing is not available as some parents and children have gone to new areas in the wake of the tsunami. The total number of displaced children from 120 schools in this region is 4135 while as many as 597 of them have lost both parents.

The number of teachers displaced are 108 while 16 have lost their lives. Among them are A.Wijesiri, Principal, St. Mary's National school, C.M. Mohamed, Principal of Zahira, A.G.Nandana, Principal of Gannoruwa school, Ms. Susantha Wijeweera, Principal, Samodagama school and Ms. H.L. Sumanawathie deputy head of Badagiriya school.

In addition to these casualties, the wife and daughter of the Badagiriya school principal, the wife and two children of the maths teacher, the parents and two brothers of Miss. M.B.D. Kumari, planning officer of the regional educational office and stenographer Janaki Hettiarachchi are others who lost their lives.

Many relief organisations are providing text books and other school material while the Education Department has issued application forms to enable children to obtain school uniform material. The Regional Education Director is in charge of all relief arrangements and a committee has been set up to assist teachers get financial relief such as loans. A bank account has been opened with a day's pay from the January salaries being credited to it. On his initiative a pinkama and a dharmadesana followed by an almsgiving were held.

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