KBRN, Jakarta: Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Pratikno confirmed on Monday, December 29, 2025, that the government is ensuring an optimal learning environment for students displaced by devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra. 

Despite extensive damage to 3,700 schools, the Government is prioritizing immediate educational continuity by deploying emergency tents and allocating cleanup funds of up to IDR 20 million per facility across Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. Minister Pratikno emphasized that while 54 schools must temporarily operate in tents, the teaching process will proceed "as maximally as possible" to meet the upcoming January 2026 academic deadlines. 

The government has prepared a cleaning budget of up to IDR 20 million per school, depending on the severity of the damage. "In Aceh, there are 2,303 affected schools; 1,773 (about 66 percent) have recovered, while 516 are still in the cleaning process," he said during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, December 29, 2025, as quoted by Antara.

He further explained that some schools in Aceh are so heavily damaged that they cannot be ready for the start of classes on January 14, 2026. "However, in Aceh, there are several schools that are truly heavily damaged and it is impossible for them to be ready for learning on January 14, 2026; therefore, tents will be used, with 14 tents prepared," he said.

Minister Pratikno emphasized that the educational process will continue even if the modes of the learning facilities vary. "The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) ensures that even in tents, the teaching and learning process will be carried out as maximally as possible," he added.

Regarding West Sumatra, the Minister noted that 500 schools were affected, with 431 (98 percent) having their facilities repaired and ready for use. "There are still 21 learning activities taking place in tents, but the acceleration process continues," Minister Pratikno remarked.

In North Sumatra, 981 schools were impacted, with 933 or over 95 percent having recovered, while 29 remain in the cleaning stage. However, 19 schools may not be ready by January 5 and must still be in tents," he explained regarding the situation in North Sumatra.

He reiterated that the learning process is guaranteed to continue with the help of volunteers and government funding for cleanup. 

"So the learning process is ensured to keep running, assistance from volunteers for cleaning is also ongoing, and cleaning costs are prepared by the government up to IDR 20 million depending on the school's condition," he elaborated.

Local administrations are also utilizing alternative facilities, such as in Padang, West Sumatra, where a community health center (Puskesmas) is sharing its space for education without reducing health services. As students prepare to enter the new term on January 5, 2025, the Menko PMK reported that 3,700 schools were affected and 3,100 were heavily damaged across Aceh and Sumatra.

There are currently 587 schools still in the cleaning phase, with a target for completion by January 4, 2025. "However, there will indeed still be teaching and learning processes conducted in tents for 54 schools (across the three provinces)," Minister Pratikno concluded. ***