Vice President Gibran Reviews School Renovation Progress in Flood-Ravaged Aceh

Vice President Gibran Reviews School Renovation Progress in Flood-Ravaged Aceh

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka visited State Elementary School (SDN) 7 Jangka in Bireuen District, Aceh, on Thursday to assess the renovation progress of the facility damaged during catastrophic flooding last year. The school is one of thousands across three Indonesian provinces affected when Tropical Cyclone Senyar triggered extreme rainfall that caused devastating floods in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra at the end of November 2025.

The disaster left more than 1,000 people dead and displaced over 130,000 residents across the three provinces as of mid-January 2026. In Bireuen District specifically, extreme rainfall exceeding 250-300 mm per day caused major rivers to overflow, submerging more than 12,800 houses in North Aceh, Bireuen, East Aceh, Lhokseumawe, and Aceh Tamiang. The floods left behind mud up to one meter thick that buried homes and public facilities, creating significant challenges for recovery efforts.

During his inspection, the vice president emphasized the urgency of providing adequate learning facilities for students to resume their education safely.

"The school's needs must be fulfilled. How can the students learn without the necessary facilities? Please coordinate with the head of the local education office,"

Gibran told Acting Secretary of the Vice President Al Muktabar, who accompanied him on the visit.

SDN 7 Jangka sustained damage to its buildings and learning facilities during the mud floods. School principal Mariana received direct instructions from the vice president to ensure all learning materials and supporting facilities are fully provided.

"Ma'am, please make sure the books and other learning materials are supplied,"

he said.

Bireuen Education Office Head Muslim reported that renovation work has reached 86 percent completion and is scheduled to finish in October. The recovery effort is part of a massive government rehabilitation program addressing damage to 4,922 educational facilities across the three provinces. As of May 8, 2026, the government enabled all affected schools to resume operations, though at varying levels of capacity.

Nationwide Rehabilitation Effort

Revitalization work is currently underway for 2,012 schools in Aceh, 658 in North Sumatra, and 332 in West Sumatra. The Indonesian government has prepared a budget worth Rp2.86 trillion for assistance to 3,002 schools that have signed agreements on government intervention. The Indonesian Army (TNI) is handling 267 severely damaged schools as part of cross-sector collaboration in the revitalization effort.

In Aceh, 2,966 schools resumed normal classes after suffering only minor damage, while around 82 schools were still holding classes in tents or temporary classrooms two months after the disaster. SDN 7 Jangka falls into the category requiring more extensive renovation work.

Vice President Gibran expressed appreciation for the cooperation between central and regional governments, the Indonesian Military, the National Police, teachers, and other stakeholders in accelerating the school's recovery. He stressed that such collaboration remains essential, while emphasizing that providing safe and adequate educational facilities is the state's responsibility.

Fifth-grade homeroom teacher Suhaiman recalled that the school had been unable to operate after last year's floods, which damaged classrooms as well as school equipment, including desks, chairs, and textbooks. He said the renovation has significantly improved conditions, allowing students to return to a more conducive learning environment.

"We are very grateful for this renovation. We thank the vice president for providing assistance, especially for the school facilities and building renovation. Alhamdulillah, we are now able to use the school again. The entire community, especially local residents, is very happy because our students can finally study as they did before,"

Suhaiman said.