A day with the children of the Basaf Dayak tribe

A day with the children of the Basaf Dayak tribe

It's a typical school day for Tris. Dozens of kilometers away from Kenyamukan elementary school, Tris, a third grader in a class affiliated with government elementary school No. 026 Tebangan Lembang, Bengalon, is absorbed in her natural science lesson. Tris, a Basaf Dayak, sits close to the window, completely unperturbed by anything around it.

In the same room, in the next row, five second graders -- Rini, Depi, Pit, Agus and Tini -- are involved in a heated debate about their mathematics lesson. In the next row after that, Andi, Amat, Mawi, Mesi and Rami -- all first graders -- are noisily studying their Indonesian lesson.

The only teacher in this classroom, Mahlan, stands in front and takes turns teaching the subjects that the children of different grades have to study that day.

A similar scene can easily be found in several areas in East Kalimantan, particularly in remote places such as Bengalon in East Kutai regency. The learning and teaching process would be more dynamic if all the registered pupils were present. "There are 20 pupils on our list but only 15 of them come regularly," Mahlan said about his students.

Mahlan, who has been teaching for eight years, has an assistant, Jamsah. They take turns teaching the pupils of the first to the sixth grades placed in the two rooms of the modest school. Pupils of the first to the third grades study in one room while the rest in the other.

Although it has only two classrooms, for the teachers, the pupils and the pupils' parents, the school, located amid 43 houses of the Basaf Dayak tribe in Bengalon built by PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC), means a lot. Thanks to this school, the children, previously roaming the jungles of East Kalimantan with their parents, can now enjoy their right to education.

"Affiliated classes in Sekurau Bawah and Sekurau Atas have been built with KPC's assistance," said Yustinus Yusak, supervisor of IDT support of PT KPC. He said that KPC had built similar schools in Muara Bengalon and Karaitan.

KPC built the settlement for the Basaf Dayak tribe in Bengalon to ensure that this tribe, which previously lived more or less in trees, would have permanent dwellings. In addition, KPC has also provided them with training in different skills, including in agriculture and cattle breeding, so that they will not only go hunting for their livelihood.

In 2001, KPC, in cooperation with East Kutai national education service, which provided teachers, spent close to Rp 4 billion on its educational program. The company has not only built school buildings and teachers' houses, but it has also made available teaching and learning facilities as well as books for the pupils. Generally, the parents of these pupils, mostly of the Basaf Dayak tribe living in 10-kilometer area, encompassing Tebangan Lembak, Sekurau Atas, Sekerat, Bajang Tidung and Keraitan, are very poor.

It is really touching to watch how the children of the Basaf Dayak tribe, who have only in recent years voluntarily lived in the settlement provided for them, show great enthusiasm for learning under the tutorship of Mahlan and Jamsah in the very modest school building. Realizing the need for their children to receive education, the parents of these pupils have encouraged them to study hard.

"These parents have allowed, and even asked, their children to go to school," Mahlan said.

Nia and her husband, whose child is a member of the class, agreed with Mahlan. Nia said, "It is good to let our children go to school. It is better than letting them stay home and play all day long."

Mahlan and Jamsah happily welcome the warm response from their pupils and the pupils' parents. They hope the elementary school can improve in future. Of course, said Jamsah, "we need more teachers, more classrooms and more teaching equipment as well as stationery."

After school, the children will do what they are usually required to do at home. They help their mothers in the kitchen, collect water from a spring and take it home, pick vegetables in the field, wash the dishes and even take care of their younger siblings.

When do they have time to review their lessons? Tris, who likes maths very much, said on school days she would find time -- usually between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. -- to review her lessons. Usually she does it by the light of a kerosene lamp.

Tris has applied herself to her studies not without reason. She hopes that by studying hard she can eventually join a university. She has great aspirations to pursue and realize. "I want to be a president," she said innocently.

Like Tris, the other pupils also have great ambitions. In Bengalon, in the heartland of East Kalimantan, where life is still rustic and simple, Tini and Mesi aspire to be doctors; Depi, Rami and Asmawi want to be teachers while Rini simply wants to realize her modest dream of becoming a modern farmer.