Rain keeps students at home in Ambon

AMBON: Every time the rains come, students get a holiday in the East Seram district of Central Maluku because the roof of their school is full of holes, and part of it has blown away.

Antara quoted the principal of Al-Hilal Guliar school, A. Rumakar, as saying that the walls of the school were in very bad condition and that there were many holes in the zinc roof.

"It's impossible for the children to study in such conditions," Rumakar said.

"I'm worried for the children's safety; if repairs are done too late the building could collapse in a strong wind," he said.

Residents said the school was built by locals and the management was then handed over to the Al Hilal foundation and the government. Neither party provided funds for repairs, they said. Locals have been forced to pool whatever funds were available to make repairs, one of the residents, Abdul Fatah Wara-waram, said.

Foundation executives were quoted as saying that they were surprised to learn that the school still existed, blaming a lack of reports from school staff.