INFRASTRUCTURE
Floating schools bring learning to water-bound communities
Boat-based classrooms ensure continuity of education during floods and crises
Floating school in Makoko. Photograph by Iwan Baan.
In flood-prone or underserved regions, floating schools keep education afloat—literally. These waterborne classrooms serve children where land isn’t always accessible, ensuring uninterrupted learning even in emergencies.
Here are real, recent developments:
Bangladesh expanding solar-powered fleet: Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha now runs a solar-powered flotilla of over 50 boats serving as schools, libraries, and clinics. In 2025, the organization reported year-round operations across flood-prone districts.
Research highlights scale and impact: A March 2024 academic study reported over 23 floating schools serving tens of thousands of students in the Chalan Beel region. It underscores gains in attendance, resilience, and community support.
Makoko school rebuilt and reopened: In Lagos’s Makoko community, a once-dilapidated floating school building was fully renovated by May 2025. The retrofit included new roofing, reinforced frames, furniture, and fans—giving local children renewed access to basic education.
Floating school in the Amazon. Image by Senac Amazonas
That’s not all: new iterations of floating schools now include computer access, remote learning modules, and disaster-responsive layouts. NGOs in Southeast Asia are adopting the model for post-storm education recovery. Meanwhile, donors are exploring hybrid programs that blend floating schools with mobile clinics to deliver holistic community support.
With climate disruptions growing worldwide and schooling interruptions reaching new highs, floating classrooms offer a proven approach to learning continuity. The challenge ahead: ensuring funding, teacher training, and long-term policy adoption to keep these boats—and students—afloat.
—TFE
The Floating Institute is all about advancing knowledge of the global floating economy.