Rp 625 billion put aside to repair damaged schools

Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government said on Monday that it would allocate special funds totaling Rp 625 billion next year to restore dilapidated and damaged elementary school buildings in regencies and towns across the country.

Minister of National Education A. Malik Fadjar said that the government would give priority to regencies or towns which had been ravaged by social unrest, were newly established, had low fiscal capacity, were situated in border areas or had a special autonomy status like Aceh and Papua provinces.

Malik said that the funds would be utilized to restore some 90,000 general and Islamic elementary schools in 30 provinces.

"The damage to the school buildings has adversely affected the learning process," Malik said in a statement read out by Director General of Higher Education Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro during the socialization of the budget.

Nina Sardjunani, director of religion and educational affairs at the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), said on Monday that the government would disburse some Rp 625 billion next year to some 287 regencies and towns to rebuild and repair schools.

There are actually some 370 regencies and towns across the country.

"This is a new funding program and we have limited funds. I think we don't have to go to regions which are already self- sufficient like Kutai regency in East Kalimantan," she told The Jakarta Post.

Nina said that the fund would go directly to the regent's and mayor's bank account but the school committee in each region would monitor the use of the fund and the implementation of the program.

"Each regional administration should also contribute from its own budget an amount equivalent to 10 percent of the special fund they receive from the central government," she said.

Nina said that the school committee would cooperate with the local community to restore the school buildings. She said that the government would establish an independent monitoring team in a bid to supervise the programs.

"That is why the directorate general of budget at the Ministry of Finance will issue a special circular to ensure that participation at the grass roots and community level play a key part in the program implementation," she said.

Meanwhile, Imran Usman, secretary of Pidie regency administration, Aceh province, said that the regency planned to utilize the funds to restore the schools that have been burnt down or demolished during the war between the government and the Aceh Free Movement.

He predicted the province would receive some Rp 20 billion to be distributed to some 14 regencies, including Pidie.

"There are a lot of things that need to be repaired. If you see the current condition of the province, you will see conditions that are worse than the Eastern part of the country," Imran said.

The province has spent some Rp 700 billion from oil and gas revenue this year for education.

"We are preparing the regional budget but many things need to be revised. Last year, we finalized the budget proposal in August. We are afraid it will also happen this year," Imran said.

S. L. Maurey, head of the education office of Yapen Waropen regency, Papua province, said that the fund would be utilized to develop schools in remote areas.

"We are not densely populated but we have to ride a helicopter to reach some schools in the districts due to poor roads," he said.

Maurey said that schools in remote areas were divided into two groups; the first group had classes only for first to third grade while the other had classes from fourth to sixth grade.

"The students travel dozens of kilometer to reach the main schools where there are enough classes and teachers," he said.