Teaching and Learning activities must go on

JOGJA (Indo Pos 01/06/06):  National Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo said teaching and learning activities in the areas affected by the earth quake disaster must go on. Therefore tents have to be erected to replace the damaged schools.

The minister also said new students enrolment should be carried out as scheduled on June 5-7.
According to the head of the Provincial Education Agency, Sugito, only six tents should be erected for schools having 12 classrooms. One emergency school could serve as two schools. One schools begin in the morning, another one in the afternoon. Another tent will be erected to serve as teachers and school staff’s office.

Emergency schools are expected to survive quite a long time, one year, for instance. Not all the damaged schools would be rebuilt. Schools that only have a few students will be merged. Meanwhile damaged schools whose construction is still strong would be renovated.
According to Sugito, many organizations have offered assistance to build emergency tents for school, among others Unicef, Sampoerna Foundation, and several other NGOs. Principally, all tents should have been ready by July.

In the coordination meeting yesterday, the National Education Minister and head of education agencies from the entire Yogyakarta province agreed that the teaching and learning process must go on. Make up test for junior high schools will be carried out as scheduled. "There are not many participants from Bantul Regency; there are only 216 participants from the entire Yogyakarta province," he added.
Whereas the final year examination for the first to 5th grade of Elementary School and the first to 2nd grade in Junior High School  and Senior High School in the disaster-stricken zone depend on the respective schools. Schools can skip exams. Students’ grade could be compiled from their existing grades. In principal students will continue to the higher grade. However, schools that remain intact should hold the final semester examination.

In yesterday’s meeting, Bantul declares it would not hold the regional examination for the six graders; because many schools have been damaged. "It does not pose any problem. Those who cannot take the final examination still can take admission test when they register to junior high schools. Its no need to take the on-line system," said the former head of Yogyakarta education Agency. (lai)