The Number Of Students Is Small, SDN 002 And SDN 015 In Tanjungpinang Is Closed By The City Government

Students from an elementary school in Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands are playing after school. ANTARA/Nikolas Panama

TANJUNGPINANG - The Tanjungpinang City Government, Riau Islands, was forced to close SDN 002 in West Tanjungpinang District and SDN 015 in Bukit Bestari District because the number of students was small. Secretary of the Tanjungpinang Education Office, Saparilis, said that the proposal to stop the operations of the two SDNs had been carried out since three years ago, but it was only realized in January 2023. Dozens of students at SDN 002 Tanjungpinang Barat and SDN 015 Bukit Bestari were transferred to another school close to the student's residence. The teachers who were assigned to the school were also transferred to other schools. "Since January 2023, students from SDN 002 and SDN 015 have moved to a number of schools close to their homes. They certainly feel happy because they have a new place, a new, more crowded atmosphere," he said in Tanjungpinang, Antara, Monday, February 13. Saparilis said the number of students who received education at SDN 002 Tanungpinang Barat and SDN 015 Bukit Bestari was slightly because the residents who lived around the school gradually moved to Tanjungpinang Timur District. In addition, in West Tanjungpinang and Bukit Bestari there are many SDN. "So most of the students at SDN 002 and SDN 015 are also not residents around the school," he said. The termination of the operations of the two schools was also due to budgeting and career reasons for teachers. The state budget used for school operations is not efficient if the number of students is only a dozen people. The career of teachers in the school is also hampered because they cannot carry out their duties optimally because teaching hours are far below standard. "In one school, only two classes were filled, while teacher careers were influenced by teaching hours. So it's a pity the teachers had to wait years to advance to class," he said. He stated that the former SDN 002 Tanjungpinang Barat building would be used by the Education Office as a meeting room and activities for teachers, while the former SDN 015 Bukit Bestari building was used for the Learning Activity Studio (SKB). The old SKB was used as a storage warehouse for the Tanjungpinang Disdik archive. "So far, we don't have a meeting room, so meetings with all school principals must borrow a room at school," he said.