Education Ministry: Transformation Makes Schools in 3T Regions More Viable

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has stated that educational transformation through a number of government priority programmes is making schools in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) regions, particularly in North Nias Regency, more viable, with pupils even becoming digitally literate. The impact of these programmes was evident when Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti reviewed the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal programme, the use of Interactive Flat Panels (IFP), and the progress of school revitalisation at SMP Negeri 1 Sitolu Ori and SMP Negeri 3 Sitolu Ori. Mu’ti said in a written statement in Jakarta on Sunday that the various programmes run by the government do not only focus on the physical construction of schools, but also on improving the quality of educational services received by pupils every day. At SMP Negeri 1 Sitolu Ori, which has 154 pupils, for instance, the government has provided Starlink satellite-based internet access, interactive digital panels, and electricity supply support. The school also received revitalisation assistance in the form of laboratory construction, administrative room rehabilitation, and repairs to three classrooms. The presence of these facilities opens up opportunities for more modern learning while creating a safer and more comfortable learning environment. Through the programme, Mu’ti said schools will receive the construction of new classrooms, rehabilitation of study rooms, and a more representative arrangement of the school environment. For the pupils, the school revitalisation brings new hope. Jenny Anjelina Ziliwu, a class VIII pupil at SMP Negeri 3 Sitolu Ori, said the previous condition of the school building was a challenge in the learning process. She hopes the improvements made can provide comfort for the next generation. “Our hope is that this school can be repaired so that our friends and younger siblings who will come can learn better,” she said.