January 29, 2026
MEDAN – Two months after devastating floods struck Sumatra, many children in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh provinces are still studying in tents under difficult conditions as clean-up and repair work at damaged schools drag o
Ramiannum Tambunan, head of State Elementary School (SDN) 155678 Hutanabolon 2 in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, said 165 students at the school have been forced to attend classes in temporary tents because the school buildings remain filled with mud after the floods.
“We hope the authorities can speed up the rehabilitation, clean-up and reconstruction process so students can return to their classrooms,” Tambunan said.
He also urged the government to provide replacement school equipment, noting that many items were destroyed in the floods, including computers, laptops and loudspeakers.
A similar situation is unfolding at State Elementary School (SDN) 05 Kayu Pasak in Agam regency, West Sumatra. Around 97 students are currently attending classes in emergency tents, as the school building has been repurposed as a shelter for residents who lost their homes in the disaster.
School headmistress Novita Yuliarman said three tents are being used as classrooms, each furnished with desks and chairs, although lessons are conducted on the bare ground.
“Despite these conditions, students remain enthusiastic about learning, and teachers continue to provide emotional support alongside regular lessons as many students were also displaced by the disaster” she said, as quoted by Antaranews.
To accommodate the situation, class hours have been shortened, with lessons running from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., compared with the usual schedule of 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, in Aceh Tamiang regency, Aceh, 156 students at State Elementary School (SDN) Babo are still attending classes in emergency tents following the Sumatra floods.
Headmaster Ahmad said the floods caused widespread damage to school facilities.
Classrooms, the principal’s office, the computer room, the library and the assembly hall were completely destroyed, while sanitation facilities, the school yard and the main gate were also affected by floodwaters and mud.
“In addition to the buildings, many learning facilities were damaged beyond use, including laptops, teaching aids, sports equipment and art supplies,” he said.
Ahmad said that the school is currently using a single emergency tent divided into two learning areas to accommodate all grade levels. Lessons run from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., focusing on core subjects such as mathematics, Indonesian language and science.
“We continue to motivate students through group exercises and school ceremonies, and we try to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment despite the limited facilities,” Ahmad said.
“However, we hope authorities will move quickly to repair our school, so students can return to proper classrooms and learning can resume normally,” he added.
Tropical Cyclone Senyar made landfall in the northern part of Sumatra on Nov. 25, 2025, bringing extreme rainfall and strong winds that triggered widespread flooding and landslides across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
At least 3.1 million people were affected, with 1,201 confirmed deaths, some 7,000 injured and around 142 still missing as of Tuesday, according to the BNPB. Currently, more than 113,600 people remain displaced across the three provinces.
Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Atip Latipulhayat said a total of 4,859 schools across three provinces were damaged by floods in Sumatra.
In Aceh, the worst-affected province, 2,966 schools have resumed normal classes after suffering only minor damage that required minimal cleaning.
Around 82 schools are still holding classes in tents or temporary classrooms. Meanwhile, 25 schools that cannot be rebuilt at their original sites are operating from borrowed facilities while awaiting relocation to safer locations.
In West Sumatra, 21 schools are still holding classes in tents or temporary classrooms, while two schools are operating from borrowed facilities. In North Sumatra, Atip said no schools are currently using borrowed facilities, although he did not specify how many are still operating in tents.
“We are working to rebuild these schools as quickly as possible and hope that by February no students will be learning in tents or borrowed facilities,” he said on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
During a visit to a flood-affected school in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, on Saturday, Home Minister Tito Karnavian pledged to speed up renovations in schools across the provinces affected by the floods.
“I urge school staff and teachers to remain resilient and optimistic in facing the post-disaster challenges. We are working to ensure students can return to their schools, so class arrangements are clear and teaching can continue smoothly,” he said.