Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is preparing to send 50 emergency classroom tents to support learning activities at schools affected by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday (August 15).
“The safety of students and school staff is our utmost priority,” Primary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti said in a press release issued on Sunday (August 16).
The ministry has coordinated with the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Provincial Government to ensure accurate assessments of damage, allowing assistance to be distributed in a targeted and effective manner.
The 50 emergency classroom tents will be sent in two batches.
The first batch is scheduled to leave Surabaya, East Java, on August 20, and is expected to arrive at Labuan Bajo Port, NTT, on August 22.
The initial shipment comprises 30 tents, 1,000 family kits, 200 general school kits, and 2,000 kits for high school and vocational school designed to support affected students and teachers in Manggarai, East Manggarai, and West Manggarai districts.
The installation of the tents is scheduled to begin on August 23.
Meanwhile, the second batch, comprising 20 tents, will leave Surabaya on August 21 for Ende Port, NTT.
The assistance is intended for affected schools in Ende, Ngada, Sikka, and Nagekeo districts.
The ministry has also instructed schools to temporarily suspend learning activities in damaged classrooms and relocate classes to safer facilities or emergency learning tents.
Schools may temporarily suspend classes entirely, depending on the severity of conditions in their respective areas.
Furthermore, to support the psychological recovery of students and educational personnel, the ministry is preparing psychosocial support services in collaboration with the Indonesian Psychological Association (HIMPSI).
“We will oversee the educational recovery process together with regional governments until learning activities can resume safely and comfortably,” Mu’ti added.
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Translator: A Rauf Adipati, Uyu Liman
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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