The Plight Of Children In 4 Villages In Tembagapura District, Papua, Has Not Been In School For 4 Years After Being Attacked By KKB

Head of SDI Banti Markus Lepang (ANTARA)

MIMIKA - Hundreds of school-age children in Banti 1, Banti 2, Opitawak and Kimbeli Villages, Tembagapura District, Mimika Regency, Papua are reported to be now out of school following the cessation of school activities in the area since 2017.

The head of SDI Banti Markus Lepang said the school-age children were initially evacuated to Timika with their parents because their home village was not conducive due to the actions of the Armed Criminal Group (KKB).

Apart from their parents and children, teachers, health workers and the community were also evacuated from Banti, Opitawak and Kimbeli in February 2018 because the KKB burned the Banti SDI building, Banti SMPN and Waa-Banti Hospital.

"For the past four years, there have been many school-age children in Banti. We received reports from parents of students that there were already hundreds of school-age children from grade 1 to grade 4. Since 2017 there have been no education services there. ," Markus said as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, March 29.

Although residents of several villages near Tembagapura City have returned in February 2021, school activities have not yet been held.

The Ministry of Education and Culture some time ago had rebuilt the school building in Banti, but now its condition has been badly damaged, leaving only the supporting pillars.

"Community leaders, village heads and tribal chiefs said that teachers should not go to Banti yet because the security situation is not as conducive as it used to be," said Markus.

Currently, as many as 14 6th grade students of SDI Banti who live in several places around Timika City continue to receive lessons to prepare for the final school exam.

The learning activities of SDI Banti students were riding in two rooms of the Multi Purpose Community Center (MPCC) building belonging to the Amungme and Kamoro Community Empowerment Foundation (YPMAK) in the Kwamki Village area, Timika.

"Since 2019 we have been studying in the MPCC building. Every six months we have to submit a written application to YPMAK management. We only use two rooms to save Banti children who will take the final exam," said Markus.

Markus said that SDI Banti students who are now actively studying in the YPMAK MPCC building live in various places around Timika City such as Kwamki Lama, SP2 SP3, SP5, SP9, SP12 following their parents. Therefore, every learning day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the school provides transportation fees of Rp. 10,000 per student who attends.

"We only carry out learning three times a week because the children's homes are very far away. At first we provided boxed rice for the children, but due to financial constraints, every meeting we gave them snacks, including transportation money," explained Markus.

According to SDI Banti's data, the total number of students at the school is 182 from grades 1 to grade 6 with four teachers currently on duty.

Some students have now moved, such as to the Papuan Taruna Boarding School owned by YPMAK and several other schools in the Timika area.

As for the continuity of education at SDI Banti in the future, Markus said, it really depends on the policies of the Mimika Regent Eltinus Omaleng and the Head of the Mimika Education Office Jenni O Usmani.

"We are still waiting for a policy from the Regent and the Head of the Education Office whether after the July school holidays the schools in Banti will be reactivated. We hope that before the schools are reactivated, it must be preceded by a meeting of all community leaders, tribal heads, village heads to hear directly their aspirations whether they are ready cooperate with schools and teachers, including to protect the safety of teachers. That is very important," said Markus.