Acehnese kids get back to school

Acehnese kids get back to school

Nani Afrida and Dedy Ardiansyah, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh/Meulaboh

As the sun rose over the devastated city of Banda Aceh on
Wednesday morning, Maizul, a 40-year-old school teacher, was
standing in front of a classroom at one of the city's schools.

While standing, she looked at a group of students chatting on
the school grounds, and suddenly her eyes filled with tears. "I
am moved that they are so high-spirited," said Maizul as she
wiped away her tears.

Her students arrived at school on Wednesday, as many schools
in the province were reopened.

The students did not have any classes on Wednesday because
their school building, the Banda Aceh High School No. 1, was
still filled with mud. They only reregistered themselves with the
teachers and then returned to their homes or their displaced
persons shelters.

The prestigious state school used to have an enrollment of
1,200 students before the tsunami disaster on Dec. 26 But, on
Wednesday, only about 800 students turned up.

Many of those were in a sorry state, despite their high
spirits. Some students wore school uniforms and shoes, but many
others only wore donated tee shirts and sandals.

Eka, for example, said she no longer had a school uniform
because all of her belongings were swept away.

"I am glad that I have been able to return to school, but at
the same time, I am also sad because the condition of the school
is now totally different," said the 15-year-old.

The official announcement that the schools were to be reopened
was declared by the Minister of National Education, Bambang
Soedibyo, during his visit to West Aceh regency on Aceh's western
coast earlier in the week. During the visit, Bambang told
reporters that the central government would restore the entire
education system in Aceh, and he believed it could be completed
by 2009.

In order to achieve the target, the government was preparing a
grand plan, he said. The education rehabilitation would be
accomplished in three steps. First, will be to reregister
students, schools and teachers, then, the reconstruction of
school buildings and finally the improvement of educational
quality. He said that the government was allocating Rp 376
billion (US$41.7 million) for education rehabilitation in the
province this year and the money would be taken from the state
budget.

The effort seems to be a daunting task for the government as
over 765 school buildings throughout Aceh were severely damaged
or washed away by the tsunami.

Due to severe damage to many schools, a great number of
students had to study in damaged buildings or in makeshift
schools set up at their displaced persons shelters.

Eka, meanwhile, could be considered relatively lucky as she
will be able to resume her studies a her previous school. But,
there are many other students who have had to study in tents at
the camps, including Ulfa Amna, an elementary school student in
Lhok Nga, Banda Aceh.

Ulfa was seen studying at temporary school set up by the
United Nations's Children Fund (UNICEF) at her camp, along with
her friends. On Wednesday, they studied math, art and composition
on a tarpaulin "floor" inside a tent in Lhok Nga.

"I am happy that I have many friends here and we can play
together. But, I am longing for my old school," said Ulfa softly,
quoted as saying by detik.com news portal.