Quito, July 5 (RHC)-- After the 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the country’s coast in April, children can finally go back to school.  Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa inaugurated the school year in the coastal area of the country Monday for the remaining children who were unable to return to classes due to the damages left by the powerful earthquake that struck in April.

On May 9, only three weeks after the earthquake, more than 75 percent of the schools in the coastal area began classes.

The president spoke in one of the 26 education centers that were built in the provinces of Manabi and Esmeraldas to offer classes.  "Building these magnificent educational units, that we wrongly called them provisional, but with care could easily last about 25 years," said Correa.

The president was was accompanied by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who arrived in the country to observe the reconstruction work and economic recovery efforts developed by the government.

The Ecuadorian Minister of Education, Augusto Espinosa explained that the construction of these educational units meets the objective of "delivering formal education in those cities who lost everything."

According to Espinosa, the schools have a stronger infrastructure and are better quality than those before that were completely destroyed after the earthquake.