Tito Urges Faster Data Collection on Damaged Schools and Places of Worship in NTT

Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has asked regional governments in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to speed up the data collection of places of worship and schools damaged by the recent earthquake.

Tito made the statement after seeing first-hand one of the mosques that collapsed in Satar Kampas Village, North Lamba Leda District, East Manggarai Regency, NTT, on Monday (17/8).

The assessment of the damage levels of these two important facilities will serve as a reference for the relevant ministries to move quickly in handling the situation and to ensure that the educational and spiritual needs of the community are met.

“Mr Regent, please, sir, also collect data on schools and places of worship, how many elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, or early childhood education centres there are. After that, the level of damage: light, moderate, severe. As soon as possible, the faster the data is collected, the faster we can move,” said Tito.

Based on experience, Tito said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is among those that are responsive in dealing with educational issues in disaster-affected areas.

In front of residents, Tito recounted that after the landslides that struck Sumatra (Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra), 4,922 schools were damaged. However, almost all school buildings have now been rehabilitated and reconstructed.

“In Sumatra, 4,922 schools were damaged. Most of them, 80-90 percent, are already operational again (rehabilitation and reconstruction),” he explained.

As one of the basic needs of the community, Tito assured that the central government is very concerned about the continuity of education for students in disaster areas. If school buildings suffer severe damage, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education can send emergency tents while rehabilitating the damaged buildings.

“But the main thing is that we have to think about how to keep the teaching and learning process running. Well, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education already has the equipment. The tents, folding chairs, all sorts of things so that it can continue,” explained the Home Affairs Minister.

After walking around and interacting with earthquake survivors at the evacuation post, he also took the time to visit Abdurrahman Wahid Junior High School, one of the schools that suffered severe damage in North Lamba Leda District.

At the school located on the northern coast of East Manggarai, he handed over personal assistance directly to the school administrators.