Schools to be built on stilts in flood-prone areas<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration plans to build
\nelementary school buildings in flood-prone areas on raised
\nplatforms to ensure that school documents and furniture remain
\nintact when heavy rain hits the areas.<\/p>\n
Soeparmo, the head of the city education agency, which is in
\ncharge of only elementary education, says the city plans to
\nrebuild schools in at least 100 locations recorded as being
\nvulnerable to flooding.<\/p>\n
The project is scheduled to start next year, and the City
\nCouncil has approved the plan, he said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The estimated cost of one raised-platform school building is
\nRp 700 million (US$305,000).<\/p>\n
New buildings will have three stories, while the platforms
\nwill be three meters above the ground.<\/p>\n
While access roads to schools may be flooded, \"at least
\ndocuments will not be lost,\" he said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The floods in January and February forced children to stay
\nhome and schools suffered severe losses.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot count the losses of documents like report cards,\"
\nSoeparmo said. \"Documents were all washed away at some schools in
\nBidara Cina, Jatinegara (East Jakarta) and Kebon Baru (South
\nJakarta).\"<\/p>\n
Previous estimates of repairs to schools hit by floods
\nexceeded Rp 3.63 billion. Six of the worst hit schools were two
\nin Petamburan, Central Jakarta, two in Kebayoran Baru and
\nPengadegan, South Jakarta, and two in Bidara Cina and Cililitan,
\nEast Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Floods are unpredictable now,\" Soeparmo said, which is why
\nthe sites of the schools picked for reconstruction are in all
\nfive mayoralties.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the council's commission for social welfare, Atje
\nMuljadi, said the commission supports any plan that enables
\nstudents to study better.<\/p>\n
\"We also urge that the city provides funds to repair access
\nroads to schools,\" to prevent prolonged absences from school in
\ntimes of flood, Atje said.<\/p>\n
Soeparmo said as of the 1994\/1995 fiscal year, funding for
\nschool renovations now comes from the respective mayoralty
\nbudgets.<\/p>\n
The city budget for elementary education is currently Rp 47
\nbillion, while the allocated funds from mayoralties totals Rp 34
\nbillion, Soeparmo said.<\/p>\n
\"This way mayors have more responsibility to be more alert to
\nreport of school repair needs,\" Soeparmo said.<\/p>\n
\"Now I can telephone mayors when I see a news report of
\ndamaged schools, and the mayors say they will act immediately,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The agency, he added, is also suggesting to the municipality
\nthat as of next year principals should be allotted at least Rp 3
\nmillion a year for school building maintenance costs.<\/p>\n
This will enable schools to make minor repairs immediately
\ninstead of having to let damage become unnecessarily worse.<\/p>\n
\"Currently principals only have the 'education operational
\nassistance aid' from the central government, which is Rp 750,000
\na year,\" Soeparmo said.<\/p>\n
The scarce resources are said to be the source of frequent
\ncomplaints from parents. They say that city-owned schools, though
\nrelatively cheap, demand an unpredictable variety of fees. Among
\nthese are picnic contributions, money to buy chalk and funds to
\nreplace light bulbs.<\/p>\n
To overcome this problem the agency has also proposed that
\nteachers' and parents' associations draw up annual proposed
\nbudgets, Soeparmo said. (anr)<\/p>",
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