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.