Vice President Gibran Prioritises Schools in Underdeveloped Regions for Revitalisation Programme

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has confirmed that schools in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions are the top priority in the government’s school revitalisation programme. He made this commitment whilst inspecting the condition of SD Wolomoni in Detusoko District, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Gibran’s statement came after he heard directly from residents and school officials about the limitations they face, ranging from damaged physical infrastructure to a lack of internet access. He said the improvements at SD Wolomoni would be integrated into the revitalisation programme launched by President Prabowo Subianto to boost the quality of education across the regions.

“The President has a school revitalisation programme. We will include this,” Gibran stated in NTT on Thursday. He stressed that the government is paying special attention to schools in 3T areas, a move aimed at reducing the disparity in educational facilities compared to more developed regions. “We are prioritising those in the 3T areas,” the Vice President asserted.

During an interactive dialogue, a parent expressed hope that the government would urgently assist with the construction of a school fence, noting that the current one is made only of damar wood and bamboo. In addition to SD Wolomoni, Gibran also visited SMP Negeri 1 Ndona, which faces similar challenges, including limited mobile network and internet access, a lack of clean water, inadequate fencing, and a shortage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment.

Sofia Ere, the head of SMP Negeri 1 Ndona, welcomed the strategic plan, calling it a concrete answer to the fundamental needs that have hindered the teaching and learning process in 3T regions. “The revitalisation programme for 3T areas is very helpful because it targets schools directly. We hope that needs such as internet networks, clean water boreholes, school fences, and ICT facilities can be met soon,” she said.

Similarly, the head of SD Wolomoni, Yohanes, expressed his team’s readiness to support the digitalisation of learning but acknowledged that the lack of network access remains the main obstacle. “We are ready to utilise digital facilities, but our main constraint is the absence of mobile and internet network access. We hope the revitalisation can address the school’s needs, including ICT facilities, internet networks, and teacher housing,” he concluded.