Education Minister Reviews Emergency Classroom Use in Pidie Jaya, Aceh
Jakarta (ANTARA) — Indonesia’s Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti has ensured the continuation of learning recovery and educational infrastructure reconstruction following Sumatra’s floods, including the inauguration of six Emergency Classrooms (Ruang Kelas Darurat, RKD) for student use in Pidie Jaya District, Aceh.
According to a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday, Mendikdasmen Abdul Mu’ti visited SMA Negeri 2 Mereudeu in Pidie Jaya District and greeted students, distributed books, offered motivation, and formally inaugurated six RKD on Monday (9 March).
“I visited SMA Negeri 2 Mereudeu in Pidie Jaya to inaugurate six RKD and distribute educational books and school equipment. This is a concrete manifestation of our efforts to accelerate post-disaster reconstruction and development, particularly in Pidie Jaya District,” said the Mendikdasmen.
Regarding the six RKD being inaugurated, Mendikdasmen Abdul Mu’ti explained that their construction was undertaken whilst awaiting reconstruction of the school’s main building.
“We continue to ensure that school building reconstruction can proceed as soon as possible. And when the school building is complete, the RKD can be utilised as canteens or for other educational purposes,” he said.
“During this sacred month of Ramadhan, we express gratitude for the inauguration of six RKD. We are deeply honoured by Minister Mu’ti’s visit, which serves as a momentum for us to rise and continue improving,” said Diah.
Diah added that SMA Negeri 2 Mereudeu is also one of the schools in Pidie Jaya District where a new building will be constructed by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in partnership with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Army.
All school buildings, she said, will be razed and rebuilt according to new architectural plans.
Meanwhile, Israqiah, a student at SMA Negeri 2 Mereudeu, noted that before the RKD was built, learning took place simply in emergency tents with plastic sheeting as flooring.
In agreement with Israqiah, Ziadatul Una stated that returning to the classroom was something she and all her classmates had longed for since the disaster.
“We are very grateful for all the assistance we receive today. We hope that education in our city recovers and we can all attend school safely and happily,” said Una.
During the visit, Mendikdasmen Abdul Mu’ti also distributed educational books and 2026 Educational Assistance worth 25 million rupiahs. In Pidie Jaya District, there are 21 RKD distributed across five schools.
As of 6 March 2026, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education had signed Work Cooperation Agreements (PKS) with 1,642 schools with assistance valued at more than 1.741 trillion rupiahs. Of these, 1,357 schools will be managed independently by schools themselves and 187 others will be undertaken by the Army.