Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Signs Cooperation Agreement for Revitalisation of 43 Primary Schools Affected by Disasters
A total of 43 primary schools from five provinces affected by disasters signed a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) for school revitalisation in Jakarta on Thursday, 13 March. The signing marked the beginning of repairs to schools previously damaged by various natural disasters, including cold lava flows from Mount Semeru in Lumajang, whirlwinds in Pati, and other disasters in various regions.
Director General of Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, and Secondary Education Gogot Suharwoto emphasised that school revitalisation is part of the government’s mandate to ensure every Indonesian child can learn in a safe and adequate environment.
“Presidential Instruction No. 7 of 2025 is very clear: there must be no damaged schools, no schools without toilets, and no schools with collapsed roofs. This revitalisation is being carried out so that children can learn safely and comfortably,” Gogot stated.
He explained that the school revitalisation programme for disaster-affected areas is implemented using a self-management scheme based on mutual cooperation. Funds from the 2026 state budget will be channelled directly to school bank accounts in two stages: 70% in the initial stage and 30% after physical work reaches a minimum of 50%.
In implementation, school principals act as activity supervisors, whilst the Education Unit Development Committee (P2SP), consisting of planners, implementers, and technical supervisors, will manage the construction process in the field. The government also encourages community involvement as a form of participation and transparency in school development.
The revitalisation programme is part of the government’s ongoing effort to improve educational facilities. Between January and March 2026, the government has processed cooperation agreement signings for approximately 1,200 schools in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh regions affected by disasters with more severe damage levels.
The case of SD YPPGI Hakekuya Kisumo in Jayawijaya Regency, Mountainous Papua, exemplifies a school receiving government attention in this revitalisation programme. The school, led by Principal Titus Mosip, previously received public attention due to its facilities and infrastructure requiring immediate attention. In response, the Papua Provincial Education Quality Assurance Office (BPMP) together with the Primary School Directorate conducted direct verification to assess the school’s condition.
Based on verification results, the government established provision of school revitalisation assistance of Rp6.26 billion. This assistance will be used for school facility construction and repairs, provision of furniture, mobilisation of building materials, school environmental management, and support for revitalisation project management.
School principals present at the event shared their experiences regarding their schools’ conditions before receiving revitalisation assistance.
Principal of SDN Supiturang 04 in Lumajang Regency, Nurjakin Pribadi, explained how Mount Semeru’s cold lava flows necessitated school relocation due to recurring disasters. “A total of 135 of our students have been learning under very limited conditions. We are very grateful that this school can finally be rebuilt so that children can learn safely and comfortably,” he said.
Meanwhile, Principal of SDN Sambirejo 02 in Pati Regency, Prihadi, explained that extreme rainfall and strong winds at the beginning of the year caused his school building to be damaged. This school received assistance of approximately Rp1.015 billion for construction of four classrooms and a teacher’s room.
“The building’s roof collapsed and damaged classroom walls. Several learning spaces became unusable. This revitalisation assistance is very meaningful for us so that children’s learning can return to normal,” he said.
Through this revitalisation programme, the government targets that physical improvements at the 43 schools can be completed within three to six months from the cooperation agreement signing. Accordingly, students are expected to be able to resume learning in safe and adequate classrooms before the new academic year begins.