UNICEF Opens 200th School In Indonesia

Building Back Better: UNICEF Opens 200th School In Indonesia

4 March 2009 – The UN Children’s Fund has contributed to the building of 200 earthquake-resistant and child-friendly schools in Indonesia.

A further 146 schools are under construction and scheduled to be completed by September.

The construction project is part of UNICEF’s determination to not only replace schools destroyed and heavily damaged in the earthquake and tsunami which struck Indonesia in 2004, but to build them back better. As a result, the children who rely on the schools for their education benefit now and in the longer term.

Apart from being earthquake-resistant and child-friendly, UNICEF schools feature well-lit and well-ventilated classrooms, separate toilets for boys and girls, a teacher’s office and a library. They are setting new standards in earthquake resistance and safety, by providing two wide exit doors per classroom and emergency stairs.

The milestone 200th school is the largest constructed by UNICEF. It features 22 classrooms and houses over 1,000 students from three elementary schools. Since the earthquake and tsunami, classes for students attending the new school have been held in double shifts in the remaining parts of one of the schools until the new school was completed.

Chief Field Officer of UNICEF Aceh and Nias, Jean Metenier, says that UNICEF’s child-friendly and earthquake resistant schools are setting new standards in reconstruction in Indonesia.

“However, it is equally important that the schools are filled with motivated students, knowledgeable teachers and supported by local authorities and a lively and involved community.

“That is why I am encouraging all students, teachers, parents and school committees to take ownership of their school and ensure that generations of Acehnese children will receive quality education in an appropriate and safe learning environment.”

UNICEF also encourages education authorities to allocate a budget for school maintenance.

ENDS