Mayotte's students are returning to school amid cyclone devastation

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MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) — Students in the French territory of Mayotte are preparing to return to school on Monday, just over six weeks after the worst cyclone to hit the islands off Africa in nearly a century laid waste to entire neighborhoods and villages and left widespread devastation in its wake.

Teachers called back into work this week found many of their classrooms were missing a roof, or several windows. It remains unclear how many students will have a table and chair to sit at when they head back to learning.

At the Lycée de Petite Terre high school in the town of Pamandzi, locals and firefighters are busy working to consolidate the framework of some of the main buildings, covering the gaping holes in the roofs with clear tarpaulin.

Efforts to repair the archipelago's damaged schools have been underway since Cyclone Chido struck in December, in a race against the clock to make schools safe for students.

After the passage of another tropical storm this month, the return of teachers had to be postponed, with some 120,000 students expected to come back gradually next week.

Assistant headmistress Peggy Guillerez noted that while the damage at Lycée de Petite Terre, which has some 2,000 students, was less severe than at some other schools, several classrooms remain unusable.

“We had built an excellent student union building, but it was largely destroyed,” she said. “Overall, however, only 12 rooms are out of use, which is minimal considering the size of our school.”

Many buildings were left without usable furniture, and some facilities remain uninhabitable.

Colonel Olivier Bruyère, a firefighter heading a team overseeing the reconstruction effort, said his team had deployed more than 60 people to secure the site.

“We’ve removed anything that could cause injuries and are covering every possible spot with tarpaulins to keep the buildings dry,” Bruyère said. “We have also removed wet, collapsed ceilings and rebuilt wooden frameworks where possible.”

Many students and teachers are still struggling with a lack of shelter, electricity and running water, and it is unclear how many will be able to return to school. Around 300 teachers went on strike on Thursday to denounce the conditions under which pupils are returning to school. They also demanded financial help for colleagues who have lost their homes.

Chido was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years, authorities said. While 39 deaths have been confirmed, French Prime Minister François Bayrou warned on a visit to the islands that the final death toll could be several hundred.

Authorities have faced challenges in recording the deaths and injuries from the storm because many of those affected were undocumented migrants, and also because of the Muslim practice of burying people within 24 hours of them dying.