3,800 Schools in Sumatra Recovered and Reopened, 66 Must be Relocated from Red Zones
The rehabilitation of educational facilities damaged by flash floods and landslides across three Sumatran provinces in November 2025 is ongoing, although some schools are still conducting classes in tents and emergency shelters. This was confirmed by Tito Karnavian, Head of the Sumatra Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (Satgas PRR), following a meeting with the House of Representatives on Monday, 25 May 2026.
Despite ongoing challenges in certain areas, Tito ensured that the majority of schools have resumed operations in their original buildings following repairs. “The majority have returned to their respective schools. Out of 4,922 schools, as I recall, almost 3,800 have been repaired and are back in use,” he stated.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) reinforced this statement in a release on 29 May 2026. The Minister, Abdul Mu’ti, explained that school revitalisation is a gradual process. The initial phase focused on providing emergency classrooms, distributing school supplies, and offering psychosocial support to affected students. The subsequent phase involves the rehabilitation and revitalisation of damaged educational facilities.
Learning processes are being conducted through flexible schemes tailored to each region’s conditions, ranging from the use of temporary classrooms or emergency tents to rotating schedules or utilising unaffected neighbouring schools. Regarding building rehabilitation, 3,101 schools have entered into revitalisation Cooperation Agreements (PKS) with a total aid value of Rp 2.9 trillion. Of these, 3,033 schools have received the first phase of funding, amounting to 70 per cent of the total, valued at approximately Rp 2 trillion. Meanwhile, 68 other schools are still in the process of receiving aid worth Rp 31.7 billion.
In preparation for the 2026/2027 academic year starting this July, Kemendikdasmen aims to have 311 schools 100 per cent revitalised before then. This acceleration is intended to ensure that teaching and learning activities can return to normalcy in the upcoming semester.
Nevertheless, 66 schools must be relocated because they are situated in disaster-prone zones. Teaching and learning in these areas are still taking place under tents, such as at SD Negeri 10 Linge in Central Aceh Regency. “This school is within a red zone and must be relocated to guarantee the safety of both students and teachers,” said Imran, Head of the Aceh PRR Task Force Team from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Imran urged the Central Aceh Regency Government to immediately submit a proposal to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to expedite the process. He also requested that the proposal be copied to the Head of the PRR Task Force to accelerate the construction of new school facilities. The recovery of education involves more than just rebuilding damaged classrooms; it requires ensuring that safety remains the primary focus so that learning is not interrupted by future disasters. “The safety of the school community is the top priority, but a child’s right to continue learning must not be halted,” said Abdul Mu’ti.