Damaged schools seek funds for renovation<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The newly planted grass in front of SDN 3 state elementary
\nschool in Ciburuy village, Cijeruk district, in Bogor, West Java,
\ndoes little to hide the woeful condition of the school building.<\/p>\n
Hardly able to withstand the weather, the rickety doors and
\nholey wooden walls of the school have become familiar to students
\nover the past several years.<\/p>\n
Since its construction in 1983, there has been no renovation
\nor construction work done to the school as it has slowly fallen
\napart.<\/p>\n
\"The place has been this way for ages. Water leaks down into
\nthe classrooms when it rains because the ceiling has holes,\"
\nprincipal Endang Sugandi said.<\/p>\n
The school consists of three classrooms that are able to hold
\na total of about 133 students, albeit in cramped conditions. In
\neach of the six-by-six meter classrooms, three students are
\nseated at each desk.<\/p>\n
In one classroom, there were three rows of five desks each.
\nThe first row held third graders studying math, while the other
\ntwo rows were filled with fourth graders poring over their
\nEnglish lesson. There was only one teacher in the classroom to
\nhandle all of these students.<\/p>\n
\"This is what happens at our school. One teacher handles two
\ngrades. We only have two permanent and two part-time teachers,
\nwhich is not enough, but the main problem for the time being is
\nthe condition of the school building itself,\" Endang said.<\/p>\n
The government came to the school's rescue on Tuesday,
\nproviding it a grant of Rp 100 million (about US$10,869) for
\nreconstruction.<\/p>\n
Minister of National Education Bambang Sudibyo visited three
\nprimary schools in the village to present them grants of Rp 100
\nmillion each.<\/p>\n
\"We were notified that the schools were in disrepair so we
\nprovided a solution by giving them and other schools in the same
\nsituation grants.<\/p>\n
\"This is all the central government can do for the time being.
\nFor the reconstruction, the surrounding community needs to be
\nactively involved in helping the school,\" the minister said.<\/p>\n
Bambang said direct grants to schools were more effective and
\nless costly than giving grants to local administrations, which
\nthen hire contractors to repair the buildings.<\/p>\n
\"That is more expensive and takes longer. And the active
\nparticipation of the surrounding community in donating labor and
\nconstruction materials will speed up the process even more and
\nsaves money,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The director general of junior and high school education at
\nthe ministry, Indra Djati Sidi, said the money for the grants
\ncame from a special fund for repairing damaged school buildings.<\/p>\n
The total fund for 2005 is Rp 1.4 trillion, compared to Rp 650
\nbillion in last year's fund.<\/p>\n
\"That should be enough for about 10,000 to 20,000 schools, if
\nwe estimate that each school needs about Rp 50 million to Rp 100
\nmillion, depending on the severity of the damage,\" he said.<\/p>\n
There are about 120,000 damaged schools in Indonesia,
\naccording to the deputy director for programs and institutions at
\nthe education ministry, Husaini Wardi.<\/p>\n
He said this special school repair fund had been in place for
\nthree years. In 2003, when the program began, the fund was Rp 625
\nbillion. (005)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/damaged-schools-seek-funds-for-renovation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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