Minister Abdul Mu'ti Lays Foundation Stone in Bireuen for Revitalisation of 116 Disaster-Affected Schools
Marking the commencement of the 2026 Educational Unit Revitalisation Programme in Bireuen District, Aceh, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti held a foundation-laying ceremony at several schools receiving assistance, namely UPTD TK Negeri Mujahidin, UPTD SMP Negeri 2 Peudada, and SMK Kesehatan Muhammadiyah. This initiative is part of efforts to accelerate the recovery of educational facilities, particularly in disaster-affected regions.
“Today we will lay the foundation stone for construction at TK Negeri Muhajidin, which has received revitalisation assistance for 2026. This represents the realisation of the 2026 revitalisation programme, which, thank goodness, we have partially established and can begin construction,” said Minister Mu’ti in Bireuen, Aceh, on Tuesday, 10 March.
For the 2026 educational unit revitalisation programme in Bireuen District, 116 disaster-affected schools have signed cooperation agreements (PKS) with total assistance valued at IDR 167.4 billion. Of this total, 86 schools will be implemented through school-managed self-execution, whilst 30 other schools will be implemented by the Indonesian Army.
The Minister explained that the revitalisation assistance menu provided to each school is not uniform, but rather tailored to the specific needs of each educational unit, including new classrooms, libraries, laboratories, toilets, administrative offices, and other facilities.
“So it varies according to the needs of each school. We have also provided other equipment and facilities,” he explained.
He hopes that this revitalisation programme can accelerate education recovery in the Aceh region so that teaching and learning activities can resume more effectively. “Hopefully, with this revitalisation, learning activities can run better and communities affected by the flooding disaster can advance further with improved educational facilities. Hopefully, construction can be completed quickly,” he concluded.
Head of UPTD TK Negeri Muhajidin, Mursyidah, stated that before receiving revitalisation assistance, the school’s condition was quite dire, even prior to the flooding disaster. Following the floods, the building’s condition deteriorated further. Classrooms at the school were classified as heavily damaged and were barely usable as learning spaces. With approximately 120 students, the school had to adapt learning activities by placing around 30 children in a single classroom.
Through this revitalisation programme, TK Negeri Muhajidin received assistance of IDR 1.032 billion, which will be used for the rehabilitation of three learning spaces, rehabilitation of administrative offices, construction of one new classroom, school environment improvement, and sanitation repairs.
“Thank goodness, we are delighted and grateful to have the opportunity to be one of the schools receiving revitalisation assistance. This is something we have long awaited, especially as this is my final year of work,” said Mursyidah.
Meanwhile, Head of SMP Negeri 2 Peudada, Salawati, stated that her school is also among the recipients of 2026 revitalisation assistance valued at IDR 3.4 billion. This assistance will be used for construction of administrative offices, rehabilitation of nine learning spaces, construction of two toilet units, library rehabilitation, and new construction of a health clinic room to support teaching and learning activities at the school.
Ninth-grade student Heira Umira from SMP Negeri 2 Peudada also described her school’s condition before receiving revitalisation assistance. According to her, several classrooms frequently experienced leaks and were even flooded when it rained. Such conditions often disrupted the learning process as students had to move to the mosque for lessons when it rained during school hours.
She is now grateful that her school will soon be rebuilt through the revitalisation programme. “The hope is that learning will be more comfortable and we won’t be afraid of leaks and flooding again when it rains,” she said.
As of 27 February 2026, schools that had signed Revitalisation Cooperation Agreements for Educational Unit recovery following disasters in Sumatra totalled 1,741. One such policy is the programme for establishing new education units (USB) and revitalising educational units.
The central government has set a target for construction and improvement (revitalisation) of 71,000 educational units in 2026. Enhanced teacher competency and welfare with a budget allocation of IDR 13.2 trillion also receive primary attention.