War has not lessen Aceh students' desire to study<\/p>\n
Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
It only took 15 of 120 minutes for Ardiansyah and Firda Nazira,
\nfifth graders at elementary schools in a remote district of Aceh
\nBesar regency, to answer 30 questions of a national physics test.<\/p>\n
The next day, they were named the winners of the regency's
\nelementary level Physics Olympics, which was participated in by
\n40 contestants at the Jantho Study Course Studio here.<\/p>\n
Ardi, from Jantho Elementary School, 60 kilometers east of
\nBanda Aceh, and Firda, from Lambada Klieng Elementary School, 10
\nkilometers east of Banda Aceh, have been chosen to represent Aceh
\nBesar regency at the elementary level Physics Olympics in Aceh
\nNanggroe Aceh Darussalam province, which are being held on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
On that same day at the Jantho studio, 40 elementary school
\nstudents took part in the Aceh Besar regency Mathematics Olympics
\nqualifying round. Mahfuddin and Yanti, both fifth graders at
\nGarot Elementary School (about 15 km south of Banda Aceh), won
\nthe qualifying round. The two will now represent Aceh Besar
\nregency at the provincial Mathematics Olympics in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"The top four participants from 80 students from 20 regencies
\nand mayoralties will be chosen to represent Aceh at the National
\nMathematics and Physics Olympics in Pekanbaru, Riau, in August,\"
\nArifin from the Aceh Education Office told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said many of the province's most talented students came
\nfrom remote villages, where learning and teaching were carried
\nout irregularly during the armed conflict in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Test materials for the elementary school students were
\nformulated by education consultants at Syiah Kuala University in
\nBanda Aceh according to national standards, said Arifin.<\/p>\n
Not only are elementary school students from remote villages
\nrepresenting their regencies at the Physics and Mathematics
\nOlympics, but many bright junior high school students from
\noutlying villages will also be competing in math, physics and
\nbiology, the head of the quality improvement program at the Aceh
\nEducation Office, Abdul Razak, said.<\/p>\n
\"Even though there is a lack of learning facilities, it has
\napparently not lessened the spirit of junior high students in
\nremote districts that are prone to armed conflicts for competing
\nwith students from bigger cities,\" said Syamsul.<\/p>\n
The head of high school affairs at the provincial education
\noffice, Anwar Muhammad, said two students from every regency
\nwould be selected for the high school-level Olympics in five
\ncategories: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and computer
\nsciences.<\/p>\n
The selection process for the high school level was completed
\non June 7 and the results are being processed by a National
\nOlympics team of judges in Jakarta. \"Those selected will
\nrepresent Aceh in the National Olympics in Pekanbaru in August,\"
\nsaid Anwar.<\/p>\n
Last year, three high school students from Aceh reached the
\nnational level in the math and biology categories. They studied
\nat Tapaktuan and Kaway high schools in the remote area of
\nPatranusa, Aceh Tamiang regency.<\/p>\n
\"Obviously, many promising students come from schools in
\nisolated areas where there is a lack of good teachers and
\nlaboratory equipment,\" said Anwar.<\/p>\n
More than 1,157 schools have been destroyed by fire in Aceh
\nover the last five years, said the head of the education office
\nin Aceh, Anas M. Adam.<\/p>\n
As many as 547 schools were burned down during the four years
\nprior to martial law being declared in Aceh, while during the
\nyear of martial law from May 2003 to May 2004, 610 schools were
\ngutted by fire, he said.<\/p>\n
Martial law was recently lifted and now Aceh is under a civil
\nemergency administration. But armed battles between the
\nIndonesian Military and the Free Aceh Movement still
\ncontinue.<\/p>\n
\"The saddest thing is that during the ongoing conflict,
\ntextbooks and lab equipment were often burned in the fires,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Anas said he was proud the students still were enthusiastic
\nabout learning even with many of their schools in a state of
\ndisrepair.<\/p>",
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