360 school buildings in Brebes need repair

360 school buildings in Brebes need repair

BREBES, Central Java: Some 360 decrepit elementary school buildings in 17 districts in Brebes regency have been deemed to be in very poor condition, and hampering the compulsory nine-year basic education program in the regency.

The head of the local education office, Tarsun, said here on Thursday that the basic education infrastructure needed an immediate overhaul as some had not been maintained for 20 years.

Several buildings were also damaged by floods and landslides that hit several areas in the regency over the last two months.

"The nine-year education program, obligatory for under-15 children cannot be carried unless the school buildings are rehabilitated," he said, while noting that some schools were holding their classes in houses and religious buildings.

The chairman of the Brebes legislature, Syarei Abdul Rosyid expressed his deep concern over the number of schools in such a poor condition, calling on the local administration to allocate special funds in the regency's 2003 budget to repair the damaged school buildings. --JP