The school building comprises of two wooden houses built on stilts by the regency administration two years ago. There are no official rules in the school like in other schools in the city. The students are children of Dayak tribes who are too poor to buy school uniform, shoes or stationeries. The only possess very simple items. On the peak of Meratus, people have only started accessing to education in the past three years. Before the school was built, they learn on the nature. “At least we want the children to be able to read, to write and to count,'' said Raihan, 30, one of the four contract teachers who teach in the deepest jungle of Meratus.

The four teachers are working alternately, two of them teach in the first two weeks, the other two work in the next two weeks, and so on. It is not very easy to reach this place. Raihan and his colleagues who are paid Rp1.250.000 per month by the Balangan regency administration with an extra allowance of Rp300 thousands per month, have to walk for 18 hours from the village that could be reached by motorcycle. Then, they have to cross the mountains, jungles, rivers and valleys

For Raihan, teaching in remote place is a tough challenge. He only hopes that he would be able to help improve the Dayak tribesmen’s life. Each time he goes to work, he always brings all the basic needs for two weeks, including food for the students.16 other teachers who are working in 7 schools in remote places on the Meratus mountains also have the same sincere devotion. Hadi, a – 28 –year-old teachers in SD Kecil in Hampang hamlet holds a masters’ degree in education he earned in Java. Since the past two years, the man has to ride his motor bike for two hours and walk for one and half hour to teach his 20 students.

Other teachers who teach in other elementary schools in the areas - in Pasiratan Pinggar, Hampatan Nanai, Raranum, Rantau Paku, and Libaran - also do the same. Head of Balangan regency education agency Edi Yulianto said the establishment of the SD Kecil (small elementary school) in those seven villages is part of the effort to provide aceess to education for children of Dayak tribes in. He is certain that this way, they can achieve the target of the compulsory education program. “Currently there are around 2,000 Dayak tribesmen in remote areas who have no access to education,” he said.