Some 1,000 teachers in Aceh missing

Some 1,000 teachers in Aceh missing

JAKARTA: At least 1,000 teachers in Aceh are missing following
last week's tsunami disaster, and around 50 percent of school
buildings in affected areas were destroyed, according to the
latest statistics issued by the Ministry of Education.

"Preliminary data shows that at least 1,000 teachers are
missing, and some 140,000 elementary school students and 20,000
junior high school students cannot continue with their studies as
many schools were destroyed," said director general of elementary
and secondary education Indra Djati Sidi on Wednesday.

He said that the government planned to set up 2,000 tents as
temporary schools and bring in around 1,000 teachers from North
Sumatra and other neighboring areas.

He expected that school activities in tsunami-hit areas would
resume by Jan, 20, 2005. --JP