Pupils study in dilapidated school<\/p>\n
Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post\/Surakarta<\/p>\n
Noticing the school fence had been painted and the schoolyard's
\nquad was in good condition, several councillors nearly decided
\nnot to continue with their field trip to Kemasan elementary
\nschool in Polokarto district.<\/p>\n
\"Had they been convinced by the school's exterior, they would
\nhave certainly turned back. It was fortunate that they entered
\nseveral classrooms and saw the true condition of our school,\"
\nsaid school principal Sutarno.<\/p>\n
The principal said the appearance of the school's exterior did
\nnot reflect the true condition of the school, where the roof
\nnearly collapse in one schoolroom because the crossbeam had been
\neaten away by termites.<\/p>\n
Instead, four bamboo poles were propping up the roof, while
\nlearning activities had been moved to the karawitan traditional
\nmusic classroom, which also functioned as a storeroom for gamelan
\ninstruments.<\/p>\n
The music room is in slightly better condition than the first
\nclassroom despite huge cracks in the walls. However, teachers
\nfeel the room is still usable. \"Its roof is still relatively
\nsecure, and the possibility of it giving way is remote,\" said
\nSutarno. Most of the eight rooms in the school are in a
\ndilapidated state, including classrooms, the teachers' room and
\nthe principal's office.<\/p>\n
Many doors and windows are crumbling. \"You can poke a hole in
\nthem with your finger,\" said one teacher.<\/p>\n
\"I feel really scared when in our classroom,\" said Muniroh,
\n11, a student at the school, who said she often heard creaking
\nnoises in the ceiling during class.<\/p>\n
Despite it all, Sutarno hopes the government will not rebuild
\nthe school all at once so as not to disrupt school activities,
\nespecially when the 197 pupils depend on the school for an
\neducation. The nearest school is at least three kilometers away.<\/p>\n
\"We have proposed the central government release funds for
\nrepairs in several disbursements. The latest reply was that funds
\nhad been used to deal with the impact of the tsunami in Aceh,\"
\nsaid Sutarno.<\/p>\n
Despite the impression of being located in a remote area, the
\nschool is only about 10 kilometers from the regental
\nadministrative center of Sukoharjo. The nearest access to the
\nschool is via a bamboo bridge which can only be traversed by foot
\nor by motorcycle. One has to take a circular route of about 10
\nkilometers to reach it by car.<\/p>\n
The original part of the school was built in 1973, while other
\nsections were added in 1985. Sutarno said the government had done
\nnothing to fix the school thus far due to a lack of funds.<\/p>\n
Sutarno feels fortunate to be the principal of a school in a
\ncommunity-minded society. Most of the construction costs for
\nsupporting facilities, such as the fence and yard, were covered
\nby the parents of students. \"That's outside the monthly school
\nfees of Rp 5,000,\" said Sutarno.<\/p>\n
Only part of the recently disbursed school operational funds
\nof Rp 23,382,500, has been used, mainly to plaster cracked walls
\nand replace broken roof tiles.<\/p>\n
The school has a number of achievements that it can boast
\nabout, such as how it comes first almost every year in the scouts
\njamboree. Its ensemble has also ranked among the top three since
\n1999 in the provincial karawitan traditional music
\ncompetition.<\/p>\n
The school is just one of the many schools in the country to
\nsuffer disrepair. Blaming a lack of funds, the government has
\nneglected many dilapidated schools, endangering students.
\nAlthough there have been no reports of fatalities due to school
\nbuildings collapsing, there is public concern that if the neglect
\ncontinues, fatalities are just a matter of time.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pupils-study-in-dilapidated-school-1447893297",
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