School building needs renovation

TANGERANG (JP): The Cempaka Putih state elementary school building in the district of Ciputat, Tangerang, is in very poor condition, forcing students from two classes to go home when it rains.

The roof of the whole building has been decaying for a long period of time.

"We are afraid that strong winds will destroy the building, especially Class 3 and Class 6 rooms," Saifuddin, the school principal, said.

"The school has not received any maintenance funds from the government since it was built in 1970. We got three additional classes, that's all," Saifudin said, without mentioning when the additional classrooms were constructed.

"The Class 3 room's roof collapsed last year due to strong winds. Fortunately the incident took place at 2 p.m. after all students had returned home."

The school is on Jl. Pendidikan No. 4, Ciputat, an area bordering Jakarta with Banten (formerly West Java) province.

He said an accident could happen at any time and casualties are unlikely to be avoided if repairs are not made. (41/sur)