Flash Flood: 32 Elementary Schools In West Aceh Closed, Semester Examination Postponed

Alue Lhok Elementary School Building, Pante Ceureumen District, West Aceh Regency which was damaged and destroyed by flash floods. BETWEEN ANTARA/HO-Doc Pribadi/Tatam Likha

ACEH BARAT The West Aceh Regency Government as of Monday, December 1, is still eliminating teaching and learning activities in 32 elementary schools that were flooded with water levels reaching more than one meter.

Head of the West Aceh Education Office, Husensah, said all schools that were submerged were still in the process of cleaning.

"Until now, the location of schools that are flooded is still being pursued by local governments. Meanwhile, school activities cannot be carried out," said Husensah in Meulaboh, Antara, Monday, December 1.

He added that the local government had also postponed the implementation of the semester exam for thousands of students in 32 affected elementary schools, which should have started on December 1. The exam schedule will be shifted to Thursday, December 4, after the cleaning process is complete.

For students from schools that were destroyed by flash floods, the test location will later be moved to other safe schools.

Husensah said that the two schools that were badly damaged by being dragged by the river were SDN Alue Lhok and SD Sikundo in Pante Ceureumen District. Damage causes total education activities to stop.

"There are only a few buildings left and now there are on the edge of the river because a lot of school land has been eroded," he said.

In addition to the two schools that were destroyed, as many as 30 elementary schools in 10 sub-districts in West Aceh were also flooded and mud. This condition makes teaching and learning activities not able to last for a while.

Banjir luapan dan banjir bandang turut merusak berbagai sarana belajar seperti meja, kursi, buku pelajaran, alat peraga, ruang kelas, hingga peralatan elektronik.

Dinas Pendidikan Aceh Barat telah melaporkan kerusakan tersebut kepada pemerintah daerah dan pemerintah provinsi untuk mendapatkan penanganan lanjutan. Hingga kini pendataan terhadap sekolah menengah pertama (SMP) yang terdampak banjir masih terus dilakukan.

Overflowing floods and flash floods also damaged various learning facilities such as tables, chairs, textbooks, props, classrooms, and electronic equipment.

The West Aceh Education Office has reported the damage to local governments and provincial governments for further handling. Until now, data collection on junior high schools (SMP) affected by flooding is still ongoing.