Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
Two years after the Dec. 26 tsunami devastated Aceh, dozens of schools have been rebuilt, but they are still missing a key component: students.
The newly repaired SMP 12 junior high in Banda Aceh's Kampung Jawa has less than 60 students in three classrooms. The school boasts a total of 18 academic rooms, including a laboratory and a library.
""We used to have 600 students but many became tsunami victims, and there were some who moved out to other places,"" principal Muktar Husain told The Jakarta Post.
The junior high school now has 15 first-year, 24 second-year and 15 third-year students.
""The current number of students is not bad. Earlier, when many still lived in shelters, we only had four second-year students,"" Muktar said.
The school's students had to study in makeshift shelters after the tsunami. They moved into the newly repaired building in July this year.
The school has 21 teachers, compared to the 50 it had before the tsunami. ""Now we have one teacher for three students,"" said Muktar. ""Many teachers were also victims of the tsunami.""
The school was rebuilt with financial assistance from France. Several other buildings were renovated with funds from the state budget, while furnishings such as tables and chairs came from the nongovernmental organization World Vision.
""The school was built with assistance from many sides. However, we still need books and laboratory equipment,"" Muktar said.
Some 90 percent of the remaining students are orphans who survived the disaster. Many come from three worst-hit areas in Banda Aceh: Merduati, Lampaseh and Kampung Jawa.
He said half of the students were provided with scholarships to continue their studies, and the school itself is not charging tuition fees.
Despite the limited number of students now, Muktar predicted the school would become busy within the next five years, as many tsunami victims would start returning home to their newly built houses.
""If we have to wait until there are enough students to start operating, we fear there will be no school near here,"" Muktar said.
Junior high schools SMP 15 in Meuraxa district, SMP 1 Banda Aceh and SMP 5 Ulee Lhee, all in the worst-hit areas, faced similar situations.
According to data from the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR) for Aceh and Nias, the tsunami completely destroyed 279 schools, of which 86 have been rebuilt.
Muktar says being the principal of such a small student body has certain advantages.
""Now I know every student and I know how each of them is doing,"" he explained.
