Yogyakarta Quake

Rehabilitation of Education Facilities to Cost Rp500 Billion
Monday, 05 June, 2006 | 14:49 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Klaten: The government estimates that funds of half a trillion Rupiah at the very least will be required to rehabilitate all the education facilities ruined due to the earthquakes in Yogyakarta and Central Java.

“With 3,200 classrooms having been damaged and assuming that each classroom will need Rp60 million, the funds for school buildings alone will reach Rp192 billion,” said Munawar Sholeh, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission for Education, on Saturday (3/6).

This amount differs a little from that mentioned by Bambang Wasito Adi, Head of the Information and Public Relations Center at the Department of National Education.
According to Bambang, 2,350 schools were ruined due to the earthquake.

The Department of National Education has allocated Rp65 million for elementary school repairs and Rp75 million for high schools, a total of R164 billion.

In addition to building repairs, Munawar is of the opinion that funds are also needed to re-supply books, laboratory equipment and other facilities.

According to him, currently the Disaster Relief and Refugees National Coordinating Board has just allocated Rp100 billion for education facilities repairs due to the earthquake via the Department of National Education.

To handle the, said Munawar, the DPR will try to allocate the funds for the repair of educational facilities repair from the Revised State Budget.

“Or by transferring some of the School Operational Funds,” he said.

Dodi Nandika, Secretary General at the Department of National Education, said the school rehabilitation funds will come from the already budgeted special allocated fund and school rehabilitation fund, which amount to Rp4.1 trillion.

“We will still use the existing fund allocation so as not to be that different the amount already allocated,” he said.

According to Bambang, the Department of National Education has sent uniforms, school bags, books, pencils, erasers, and other necessities such as sarongs, blankets, food, drugs and tents.

Imron Rosyid and Rini Kustiani