Most school buildings damaged

Most school buildings damaged

BOGOR: About 76 percent of Bogor's elementary schools are
seriously dilapidated but the city does not have enough money to
repair them, an education official said on Wednesday.

"Of the total 1,625 elementary schools in Bogor, 76 percent
are seriously run down, 2 percent are completely run down and the
rest have minor problems," said Didi Suwardi, the education
agency chief.

He said that the Bogor administration has only Rp 36 billion
(US$3.6 million) to renovate all elementary schools, junior and
senior high schools.

According to Didi, the situation is the result of the age of
buildings and the poor quality of materials used in their
construction.

"Many of them were built in 1974," he said, adding that
maintenance for each of the elementary schools cost some Rp
500,000 per month.

To solve the problem, Didi suggested that each of the schools
generate their own funding to help finance renovations.--JP