300 primary school buildings need repairs

JAKARTA (JP): Three hundred primary school buildings are in urgent need of repair, a task that would require Rp 37.2 billion (US$15.4 million), an official said yesterday.

T. Rusmana, the head of the buildings and facilities division under the city's agency in charge of primary education facilities, said the 300 buildings were in very poor condition because they were too old.

"Forty percent of them are in East Jakarta," Rusmana said.

The 300 buildings are among schools and supporting facilities of 1,722 state-owned elementary schools used morning and afternoon.

"We need around Rp 900 million to rebuild one school," Rusmana said.

Of the 300 buildings, six would be totally rebuilt this 1997/1998 fiscal year.

He said this includes the state elementary school buildings (SDN) of Duren Sawit 6 and 15 in East Jakarta, the Pesanggrahan 3 and Pasar Minggu 1 and 3 in South Jakarta, the Pademangan Timur 3 and 14, and Kalibaru 3 in North Jakarta.

More schools have been listed for partial renovation. These are SDN Tengah 1 and 2 in East Jakarta, SDN Johar Baru 11 and 29, and SDN Sumur Batu 4 and 5 in Central Jakarta, SDN Kapuk Muara 3 and 8 in West Jakarta, and SDN Cilandak Barat 6 in South Jakarta.

Other schools, or 250 buildings, only need minor repairs.

Last year, only 110 school buildings out of 300 were repaired because of lack of funds. It was not clear whether most of this fiscal year's planned renovations were left over proposals of the last fiscal year.

For the 1996/1997 year, "We proposed Rp 7.5 billion but only got Rp 3.3 billion," Rusmana said. (ste/anr)