RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is moving quickly to restore educational services for thousands of students affected by the disaster in the Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra regions. The government is prioritizing the provision of emergency learning facilities to ensure that children's right to education in the affected areas is still met, even in difficult conditions.

Special Staff to the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education for Management and Institutional Affairs, Didik Suhardi, explained that the initial stage focused on sending educational logistics assistance and tents for temporary classrooms. "In the emergency stage, we are providing assistance ranging from school kits and emergency tents to fresh funds for school cleaning," Didik conveyed in his statement on Wednesday, 4 February 2026.

This tactical step successfully ensured the start of the second semester learning at the beginning of January, despite the limited infrastructure. Didik emphasized that the main point is that there should be no prolonged vacuum in education for the sake of the future of the young generation in Sumatra.

Regarding infrastructure damage, the government recorded thousands of affected schools, with Aceh experiencing the most severe conditions, totaling 3,073 schools. "The data is still evolving because the conditions in Aceh are very difficult, but we have started technical guidance for rehabilitation," Didik said.

In the reconstruction process, the ministry implemented a self-management scheme that directly involved the active participation of the community and school committees. Didik explained that this community involvement aims to create a multiplier effect on the local economy because it is done by local residents.

Besides infrastructure, psychological support is a crucial agenda to address the trauma experienced by students after the disaster. "We must ensure that children continue to learn, are provided with trauma counselling, and are given materials on how to cope with disasters if they happen again," He stated.

The government is also wary of the risk of learning loss, which occurred significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the implementation of a special curriculum during this recovery period is expected to maintain students' competency standards so they don't fall too far behind.

The school's physical rehabilitation target is being pursued to be fully completed in this 2026 fiscal year thru funding support from the ministry and additional central budget. "Our target for these rehabilitation projects is to be finished by the 2026 academic year, except for relocations because they require verification of new locations," he said.