Most Banjarnegara schools damaged

BANJARNEGARA, C. Java: Some 70 percent of elementary school buildings in Banjarnegara, Central Java are in a damaged condition, with the regency administration lacking funds to repair the buildings, an official says.

"There are 862 elementary schools, including madrasah ibtidaiyah (Islamic elementary schools), in the regency, with 547 in damaged condition," Banjarnegara Regency Secretary Slamet Fahruddin said Friday.

"We cannot use funding from other sectors because we need to pay attention to those sectors too."

Slamet said most of the school buildings were more than 20 years old.

"Another factor is unstable terrain, with 80 percent of Banjarnegara territory mountainous," he said.

"I have reported the matter to Central Java governor. I hope there will be a pleasant follow up."

Slamet said it would take hundreds of billions of rupiah to repair the buildings, while the regency only allocated some Rp 10 billion (US$884,955) to repair 175 schools. -- JP