Sri Lankan school children went back to school Monday after the devastating Tsunami disaster hit the country two weeks ago.

As many schools on the coastal belt were damaged or destroyed by the marauding waves, many school children and teachers are still taking refuge in schools and other makeshift camps across the island.

"We have no lessons today, the students come and sign their names," said W. Mendis, a teacher in Vidyalaya School in southern city Kosgoda.

The school has 2,000 students, but only a small number of students have come today," Mendis said, adding "the school principle died in the disaster, and the Buddhist monk in nearby temple presides the school now."

While the children and their parents are busy cleaning desks and clearing up the piled garbage, a student told reporter that they would likely have lessons Thursday.

According to the Center for National Operation, there are 76,911 students in these partly and fully damaged schools in the tsunami-affected areas. Of this, 59 schools have been completely destroyed and the Sri Lankan government has already taken the initiatives to commence the reconstruction of the destroyed schools within one month.

In Devannanda College in Ambalangoda city, a leading national school in Sri Lanka, things are different. The campus is not damaged and none of the students died in the disaster. More than 500 students, however, are displaced.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2005)