230 elementary school buildings need renovation

230 elementary school buildings need renovation

JAKARTA (JP): At least 230 of the 2,593 public elementary
school buildings in Jakarta are in disrepair and need renovating,
an official said yesterday.

"The 230 buildings are mostly in a shabby condition because of
a lack of maintenance or due to being old," said an official, who
asked for anonymity.

The real figure could be higher as many public school
principals have not reported their buildings' condition to the
related responsible parties, such as the mayoralties.

Fifty-two elementary schools were renovated last year after
all the mayoralties were given special budgets for school
renovation programs.

The official admitted that many renovation programs had been
delayed due to a lack of funding.

"But we are trying our best to help these schools because we
don't want the pupils' learning process to be disturbed by their
damaged schools," he said.

Schools with major damage are given priority, he said.

"But it does not mean that the city will ignore others with
minor damage," he stressed, refusing to elaborate on the amount
of money used to renovate the schools.

"Ask the mayors. It's in each of their education budgets," he
said.

The official made the remarks in response to the delay in the
renovation of a severely damaged public elementary school in Pulo
Gebang, East Jakarta. The school -- SDN 01/16 East Jakarta -- was
supposed to have been renovated three years ago.

But without any clear reasons, the East Jakarta Mayoralty
delayed the renovation project despite a survey by city's
buildings supervision office.

Some reports said East Jakarta Mayor Sudarsono delayed the
plan because he thought the school's principal was lazy in regard
to maintaining the school.

The mayor said he was now waiting for the school principal "to
change his attitude". "If the headmaster acts diligently, the
school will be renovated in the 1998/1999 fiscal year," Sudarsono
said.

The principal of SDN 01/16, Achmad Sudama, said that he was
trying his best to keep the school as clean as possible despite
the deteriorating buildings.

"I'm embarrassed because I have told the parents that this
school will be renovated soon. But there's been no answer from
the mayoralty over this matter," he said.

Pupils' parents have repeatedly expressed concern over the
buildings' condition.

"How can our children learn peacefully if there is no secure
feeling? The bricks might fall at anytime. We don't want our
children to get hurt," Aminah, a pupil's mother, said.

Aminah said she hoped the city administration would pay more
attention to the school.

"It's for the sake of our children. Don't give ridiculous
reasons to avoid doing what is really needed."

City Councilor Soeparmo, the head of Commission E for welfare
affairs, told The Jakarta Post that the renovation must be
undertaken soon.

"The mayor's reason to delay the renovation is absurd. What is
he thinking about? He should have checked the school himself so
he knows that the building needs to be fixed soon.

"I strongly suggest the mayoralty renovates the school because
the students' future is at stake here," Soeparmo said.

Prawoto Danumihardjo, the city's assistant for economic and
development affairs, said he would soon check on the matter.

"I believe the proposal for the renovation has been received
by the municipality. But if for some reason the project is
delayed, it's probably because of the lack of funding due to the
monetary crisis, nothing else," he said. (edt)