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school for children with mental disabilities is far from what any parent dreams of. A dilapidated building stands on the banks of a strong-rushing stream running through a narrow alley within a dirty slum area on Jl. Ahmad Yani near Lumintang Park in Central Denpasar.

The school’s classrooms are dark and humid. Facilities are very limited for facilitating the education of 160 students with mental disabilities. Teachers and students are barely able to move around within their classrooms due to limited space.

Worst of all, the SLB C school is surrounded by houses and huts frequently used for illicit sexual transactions, which the local authorities have seemed to be reluctant to acknowledge.

I Ketut Suarsana, the school’s principal, said he has frequently asked for the school’s relocation to a more appropriate place in the city. “The environment of the school is not good for the children’s mental, physical and social development,” the principal said.

There presently are 20 students staying at the school’s boarding facility for the poor. “It is very difficult for teachers and staff to closely monitor students’ after-school activities. We are so concerned that they have to live in this poor and unhealthy neighborhood,” said Suarsana.

Established in 1969, the 1,700- square-meter school was aimed at providing proper education facilities for students with mental disabilities (possessing IQ’s between 40 and 80).

The school has accepted students from elementary, junior and senior high school levels. It has only nine classrooms for over 100 students.

School Deputy Principal Daldiri explained that ideally, SLB C should have at least 24 classrooms.

“One teacher should ideally educate five students. The reality is really far from this minimum requirement,” said Daldiri, adding the number of teachers at the school is only 31 persons — not enough to provide effective lessons to 160 students.

Students of the junior high school have to share small class rooms with other students from second and third grade levels.

The principal admitted that the teachers were unable to extend their best efforts to help the students due to these limitations. “Based on the standard national curriculum, students with mental disabilities must obtain 60 percent [comprehension] of practical lessons, such as fisheries, gardening, sewing, craftsmanship and other activities outside academic activities,” Suarsana said.

The school, unfortunately, does not have the facilities to fund and implement the national curriculum.

Parents and teachers have frequently urged the authorities to find a more proper location for the school.

Governor Made Mangku Pastika had promised to relocate the school to a former site at a 5-hectare textile factory in Kesiman village in Denpasar, but the city mayor and local communities strongly rejected the idea.