Jakarta Primary School Remains in Ruins Two Years After Collapse, 200 Students Displaced
The building of SDN Kebayoran Lama Selatan 09 in South Jakarta collapsed two years ago and remains a pile of rubble, with no certainty over its reconstruction. Parents say the incident occurred during the regional election holiday on 27 November 2024, when the structure suddenly gave way early in the morning without any apparent trigger. “There was no wind, no rain, it just collapsed,” said Evi Afrida, a parent. Although no one was injured, families are increasingly anxious about the ongoing safety risk and the lack of progress.
Five rooms were severely damaged: four classrooms and a school health unit. The school has reported the situation to the Jakarta Education Agency, but parents say they were told that the renovation budget had been diverted to other schools deemed to be in greater need. As a result, around 200 pupils have been forced to attend classes at the neighbouring SDN Kebayoran Lama Selatan 11, using a split-shift system that sees them study in the afternoon. The school’s prayer room and field are also being used as makeshift classrooms.
Parents complain that the afternoon schedule disrupts the children’s routine, particularly their religious studies, which usually take place after the Asr prayer. “They used to study the Quran in the afternoon, but now they finish school at 5 p.m. and have no time for it,” Evi added. The disruption has also led some families to transfer their children to other schools, further reducing the student body. From an original 32 pupils per class, the total number of students across two classes has now fallen to just 38.
The South Jakarta Education Agency Region I stated that renovation funds were included in the 2025 planning documents and that the government is working to expedite the process. The agency also revealed a plan to merge SDN Kebayoran Lama Selatan 09 with the adjacent SDN Kebayoran Lama 11, with the new building to be constructed on the site of the collapsed school. Officials said the first step would be to clear the debris from the site.