Yogyakarta (Kedaulatan Rakyat: 02/06/06) Tents serving as emergency classrooms will be erected in each damaged schools. The number of the tents erected depends on the number of damaged schools, and their capacity according to the number of students. Damaged schools which are located near another school that is still in good condition will be merged. Currently, the authorities are still looking for suitable tents.

Previously, teachers and students suffering from trauma should be treated, head of Yogyakarta Provincial Education Agency Drs Sugito MSi told KR on Thursday (1/6). He was explaining the Agency’s plan to set up emergency schools and to rebuild damaged schools. ”We are currently negotiating and coordinating with various organizations concerning our plan to set up emergency schools and to rebuild damaged schools,” Sugito said.

He said he has been talking about school reconstruction with the Unicef, the National Education Ministry, the central government, provincial and regency/municipalities administration. We are still working to finalize the planning, because this effort should be carried out immediately. The same with the compensation for deceased teachers and students. According to the plan, the central and provincial government and the Association of Indonesian Teachers (PGRI) will assist us. ”We are still in discussion, to allow us to handle everything properly and quickly,” Sugito said.

According to the data from Yogyakarta Education Agency Disaster Post on June 1st 2006 at 09.00 am; the number of damaged school building is still increasing, reaching 1,470 schools, including schools for disabled students (SLB), elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, vocational schools and universities. The victims is also increasing, reaching 222, consisting of 108 fatalities including  24 teachers, 2 school staff and 82 students, 80 heavily injured, and 34 slightly injured.

Meanwhile in Klaten, schooling activities at the Junior High School 1 Prambanan and Junior High School 2 Gantiwarno resumed on Thursday (1/6) under the tents erected by the Sampoerna Foundation (SF). Students of 4 classes are learning in 2 tents, even though not all the students attended the class. The schools that earlier have 18 classrooms with 716 students are held in two shifts

The first teaching-learning activities, carried out in the aftermath of the earthquake amid fear of aftershocks were only held for around two hours. At around 11 am, the tents in the Junior High School 1 Prambanan was already quite, because classrooms have finished. When we visited the area the school has closed and the students have gone home.

Sampoerna Foundation (SF) Communication Director Sapto Handoyo Sakti said, his organization is focusing on long-term efforts, after the earthquake, especially on education sector. ”We hope that the disaster response period is not too long. Therefore, the rehabilitation could be carried out soon,” added Sapto who was accompanied by his staff Hendri Satrio and students who receive scholarships form Sampoerna Foundation.

Sapto explained that education is the main concern of the Foundation. Therefore, SF is also working together with international NGOs in efforts to heal students’ trauma and to get them back to school. He admitted that it is not an easy task. Aside of the damaged schools, students’ psychological has not been restored.
Meanwhile, the Junior High School 1 Prambanan Klaten is heavily damaged. However, 30% of its black board and 50% of its furniture still can be used in the tent classrooms. Besides big tents for classrooms, Sapto Handoyo explained, the students there also need new textbooks for the 2006/2007 school year. They also need notebooks to learn while their homes have been destroyed.