Home to about 1.5 million people, Eastern Province is one of the hardest-hit areas in Sri Lanka by both natural and manmade disasters. Education advocates say schools lack teachers, funds, infrastructure - and attention.
"Education for us is like another war," said Nirmala Rani, 15, from Batticaloa District.
School facilities are scarce, while some classes do not even have teachers, the student said. "We really cannot call it an education," Rani said.[ read more ]