Teachers told to go to safe areas

Teachers told to go to safe areas

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Kuningan, West Java

Amid the fierce fighting between the military and the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM), many teachers, administrative staff and students
have been told by officials that due to safety concerns it was
not mandatory for them to conduct classes.

Director General of Elementary and Secondary Education at the
Education Ministry, Dr. Indra Djati Sidi said here on Wednesday
that the government made the new policy to prevent more victims
among teachers and students after hundreds of school buildings
had been burned down during the current military operation.

It is better for teachers and students to take refuge in safe
areas if gunfights between the warring sides occur in their
villages, he said.

Indra added that the Education Ministry had already recruited
7,110 new teachers and 3,000 of them would be sent to the restive
province to teach at the many temporary camps that house tens of
thousands of families who have had to leave their homes.

"Our main concern is their (teachers and students who have not
left to the camps) safety and it is wise should learning
activities remain suspended throughout the military operation,"
Indra said.

Since martial law and the military offensive began on May 19,
more than 400 school buildings in the province have been torched
and teachers have been targeted by an unknown group or groups.

The burning of school buildings, mostly in Bireuen, North
Aceh, Pidie and Aceh Besar regencies, has caused losses of up to
Rp 100 billion (12.2 million) and left more than 40,000 students
in limbo.

The four regencies are strongholds of GAM.

According to Indra, the government would likely need more than
Rp 300 billion to build new school buildings and to rehabilitate
the ones which have suffered damaged in the conflict.

The government will try to find other venues such as mosques
and other buildings where students can have classes until the
government finishes the construction of new schools next year.