Read the article. Decide if the statements are True (T) or False (F).
Floating classrooms
In some parts of the world, children go to rather unusual schools. In Bangladesh, for example, heavy rain often leads to flooding in many parts of the country. These floods can stop children getting to school.

A solution to this problem came from a man called Mohammed Rezwan. In 2002, he began a project to build a school boat. It was so successful that there are now ninety school boats. These travel along the rivers of north-west Bangladesh and give thousands of children the chance to have a primary school education.

For six days each week, every boat goes to a different village along the river and collects children of the same age. When the boat’s classroom has about thirty to thirty-five students and is full, they begin lessons. Students have a three-hour class and must study: maths, reading, writing, Bengali* and English. They also learn about the environment and how to take care of it.

After class, the boat takes them home and then collects another group of students. Each day, each boat gives three sets of three-hour lessons. That means the ‘boat schools’ provide about 270 lessons a day.

While each boat has a classroom and a library, modern technology is also available. Every boat has solar panels on its roof to collect energy from the sun and produces enough electricity to run a few computers, a printer and also a DVD and CD player. Wireless technology now makes it possible for the boats to connect to the internet, too. So, primary education is connected and on the move!

*The official language of Bangladesh.


1 Bangladesh hardly ever gets flooded. F
2 Many Bangladeshi children stay at school
when it rains heavily.
3 Mohammed’s boat school project helps
children in the north-western part of
the country.
4 The boat school scheme educates hundreds
of secondary school children.
5 Mohammed’s idea helps children in
villages to access primary education.
6 The boat school doesn’t offer classes every
day of the week.
7 The classes are not always full.
8 On a normal day, the boat school gives
more than 250 classes to children of
all ages.
9 Some boats have two or three classrooms.
10 Teachers on the boats can use technology
in their lessons.
11 The technology is connected to electricity
using long wires.
3 Read the article again and underline the correct answer, a), b) or c).
1 Mohammed began the project by building b .
a) 90 boats b) one boat c) six boats
2 The boats provide education to children
living .
a) by rivers b) on islands c) in towns
3 A full class has about children in it.
a) 30 b) 30–35 c) 35
4 Students study subjects in each lesson.
a) four b) five c) six
5 Each boat provides hours of lessons a day.
a) three b) six c) nine
6 is used to create electricity on the boats.
a) Water b) The sun c) Energy