Children trickle back to school in quake city to find friends
PALU, Indonesia: Children in the Indonesian city of Palu began returning to school yesterday to tidy up their classrooms and to help gather data on how many will be coming back 10 days after a major earthquake and tsunami hit their city.
The 7.5 magnitude quake on Sept. 28 brought down many buildings in the small city on Sulawesi island, 1,500 km northeast of Jakarta, while tsunami waves smashed into its beachfront.
At one state high school, teenagers dressed in grey and white uniforms swept up broken glass in the classrooms. Trophies had fallen from a broken school showcase and the basketball court was cracked.
“It’s sad to see our school like this,” said Dewi Rahmawati, 17, who expects to graduate next year and wants to study economics at university. The students found out that they had to turn up to school through messages on Facebook and WhatsApp.
School principal Kasiludin said authorities told all teachers to show up for work from yesterday to collect information on student numbers.
“We won’t force the students to come back because many are traumatised. But we must start again soon to keep their spirits up and so they don’t fall behind,” he said.
The school had lost at least seven students and one teacher, he said.
Across the city, nine schools were destroyed, 22 teachers were killed and 14 were missing, the disaster agency said, adding that 140 tents had been set up for classes. At the SMP Negeri 15 Palu middle school, fewer than 50 of its 697 students showed up.
School principal Abdul Rashid said he was aware of four students killed in the quake.
“Classes haven’t started. We’re only collecting data to find out how many students are safe,” he said.
“I’m still waiting for the Ministry of Education to give us instructions on when to begin classes. For now, I don’t think we’re ready. Many children are traumatised and frightened.”
One boy chatting in the school compound with friends said he was sad so few of his class mates had shown up.
“I haven’t heard from so many of them. I want to think positively; I hope they are OK,” said Muhamad Islam Bintang Lima, dressed in the school uniform of white shirt and navy blue trousers.