PEKAN, Jan 16 — The flood water at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Temai has yet to completely subside, and the road to the school is still flooded, but it does not hamper six teachers from wading through the flood water, just so their students would not miss their lessons or be left behind in their studies.

As early as 7am, the teachers were already at Jalan Pekan — Paloh Hinai, which led to the school, which looked like an island as it is surrounded by flood water, for waiting for a boat ride to the school, with the male teachers preferring to wade through the waist-deep water.

The classes were held on the first floor of the three-storey school building, as the school is also used as a flood evacuation centre for residents in the nearby areas.

One of the teachers, Mohd Faizul Ramli, 36, said wading through the flood water to school was nothing new for teachers at the school, but none of them took it as a hindrance for them to continue with their job as educators.

"Although the 2018 school session began on Jan 2, for us at SK Temai, today is the first day because the school was closed for two weeks due to the floods,” he told Bernama here today.

He said although the flood water at the school had yet to dry up and the school was still being used as a flood relief centre by 93 evacuees from nearby villages, the school had to be opened to prevent pupils from missing more lessons.

"The school canteen is still inundated in water. So we brought packed food,” said Mohd Faizul, a native of Pekan, who has been teaching at the school since 2012.

Meanwhile, the school headmaster Azhar Jamin said the school had 18 teachers and a total enrolment of 147 pupils from pre-school to Year Six.

"Fourteen students turn up on the first day of school today, and there are all flood victims still seeking shelter here.

"There are also 47 students and 12 teachers who are temporarily placed at nearby SK Padang Rumbia due to the floods as we are concerned with their safety and to avoid any untoward incident,” he said.

He said more than 70 students who were absent from school today were from the Permata Siput Orang Asli Village that was still cut off by the floods, making it difficult for them to go to school. — Bernama