Students stand for lessons

Students stand for lessons

TANGERANG (JP): Sixty-seven secondary students of SD Kebon
Baru at Ketapang village of Mauk district are studying on their
feet in a tiny, emergency 'classroom' of the principal's official
home.

Deputy principal Maman said here on Saturday that the first
and second grade students had learned under the poor conditions
for two years since the old roof of the building broke down and
damaged everything inside the students' three classes.

"Nothing, including the desks and chairs, could be rescued,"
he recalled.

The school has two separate buildings. The first was built in
1963, while the other one with the collapsed roof was constructed
in 1986.

The 36-year-old school is still used by remaining students
although the roof has deteriorated dramatically and the wooden
pillars have been eaten by termites.

"One classroom is not used at all. The remaining three have
574 students from this village crammed in them," Maman said.

"We have reported all these cases to the local education
ministry office but still they give no response. They only said
repairs would be conducted after the general election," said
Maman.

He said, the 67 students have to stand on their feet while
learning in the packed makeshift "classroom" at the principal's
house located behind the school.

"The local education office should do something for the sake
of these village students," Maman said.

He added that the Tangerang administration claimed repairs
could not be made as long as the 1.4-hectare land on which both
buildings stood, was still owned by an individual.

Mauk district head Asmawi already said, however, that the
land owner, Inang, donated the land to the school.

"The land's been given to the school, so why not start making
the repairs," Asmawi said.

The other major problem of the school is the shortage of
teachers, Maman added.

"We have only nine teachers, and I myself have two roles here,
as teacher and night guard for the school," he said. (41/ylt)