Disaster Recovery Task Force Accelerates Renovation of Disaster-Affected Educational Facilities

Educational facilities in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra were also affected by the hydrometeorological disasters that struck those regions at the end of last year. According to data from the Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) Post-Sumatra Disaster, 4,922 educational facilities were impacted by the disaster. Of that number, Aceh is the region with the most affected educational facilities, with 3,120 units. Meanwhile, North Sumatra has 1,149, and West Sumatra recorded 653 units affected. Nevertheless, the teaching and learning process in the three provinces is now running at 100 per cent. This is because the majority of classrooms have been successfully restored by Satgas PRR. Aceh recorded 3,046 educational facility units that have resumed learning in their original classrooms. In North Sumatra, 1,133 educational facility units have also resumed learning in their original classrooms. Whereas West Sumatra recorded 640 units that have resumed learning in their original classrooms. Satgas PRR is also continuing to restore classrooms so that suitable facilities can maintain students’ learning enthusiasm who are still conducting learning in tents, emergency classes, or borrowing other schools. Head of Satgas PRR Tito Karnavian acknowledged that there are still conditions that are not ideal for students’ learning. Tito revealed that efforts to restore educational facilities are continuously carried out by the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti. In fact, there is already a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and parties that will renovate the educational facilities. “The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education stated that more than 1,000 educational facilities already have cooperation agreements for repairs. However, he uses a priority scale, which ones (severely) damaged are worked on first,” said Tito in Jakarta on Wednesday (25/3). On the other hand, the enthusiasm to continue learning is also expressed by students in the affected areas. One of them is Nuraiche, a student at SMA Negeri 2 Meureudu, Pidie Jaya. Even though her school is still affected by the disaster, the 12th-grade student admitted to remaining enthusiastic about returning to school. She and her friends are now focused on preparing themselves to face the Class Final Exam (UKA) scheduled for 13 April. “We still study as usual, because we also have exams,” she said on Monday (30/3). Deputy Principal for Curriculum Affairs Hasanah explained that even in emergency conditions, exam preparations are still ongoing. As many as 92 12th-grade students will take the exam covering 14 subjects. The school has provided exam grids to students as a study guide. In addition, material discussions are also conducted intensively with the help of class guardians and additional tutoring programmes. “We have held tutoring sessions so that students’ preparations are more optimal,” added Hasanah. The limited conditions do not become an obstacle for the students to continue learning. Their determination to graduate becomes the main motivation to keep struggling, proving that the spirit of education remains alive even in the midst of disaster.