By: Yandi Arya Adinegara*
Early January 2026 marked a significant milestone in the educational recovery process in the Sumatra region affected by the massive floods and landslides at the end of 2025. Amidst the grief caused by the loss of life and extensive infrastructure damage, the government’s swift action in restoring vital facilities, particularly in the education sector, demonstrated the country’s commitment to maintaining the sustainability of human resource development. The reopened schools are not simply reopened buildings, but rather a symbol of the revival of hope and social stability in the affected communities.
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, confirmed that teaching and learning activities in the disaster-affected areas of North Sumatra could resume on January 5, 2026. Of the 1,215 affected schools, 1,157, or 95.23 percent, were ready to operate.
This achievement deserves appreciation considering the complexity of post-disaster management, from mud removal and repair of basic facilities to the psychosocial recovery of school residents. This statement was made at the Inauguration of Educational Unit Revitalization Assistance in Medan City, which also marked the transition from the emergency response phase to early recovery.
It is true that a small number of schools are still undergoing emergency learning. Nineteen schools are utilizing temporary tents, and 29 are still undergoing intensive cleaning. However, the government ensures that all schools continue to function adaptively to ensure the learning process is not interrupted. This policy emphasizes that children’s right to education is maintained, even during a crisis. The emergency curriculum is designed flexibly, adapting to field conditions without compromising the essence of learning.
This adaptive approach is reflected in more humane learning policies. Students are not burdened with uniform requirements or learning equipment that are difficult to obtain post-disaster. The primary focus is on restoring students’ enthusiasm for learning, a sense of security, and engagement. Abdul Mu’ti emphasized that the most important thing is the spirit to recover and look to the future, a message relevant to regions that have recently experienced collective trauma.
Regionally, education recovery in Sumatra is showing a positive trend. In the three affected provinces: Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, approximately 85 percent of schools have resumed operations. Of the 4,149 damaged schools, the majority have been cleaned and are back in operation, albeit with limitations.
The central government, through the Ministry of Elementary and Secondary Education, has prepared 54 emergency tents and conducted cleanup work at 587 schools. This step emphasizes that the government is not waiting for ideal conditions to act, but is instead working in parallel to ensure physical recovery and the continuity of public services.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), along with joint personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri), is also continuing to restore post-disaster infrastructure in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra, following flash floods and landslides in November 2025. Several public facilities are being expedited so they can be used by affected communities.
The Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, added that educational facilities are targeted to be operational again by the start of the even semester in mid-January 2026. Several educational facilities that may have been affected by mud and other damage will be able to reopen by the first week of January.
BNPB will continue to set up emergency tents so that teaching and learning activities can continue in several schools still inundated by mud. According to him, the learning process can be carried out in emergency tents for schools that have not yet fully recovered.
This recovery is strengthened by the involvement of the business community and state-owned enterprises. PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk took concrete steps by cleaning up educational facilities in North Aceh. By deploying heavy equipment, transport vehicles, and field personnel, BNI helped ensure that classrooms could be reused.
BNI Corporate Secretary Okki Rushartomo emphasized that educational facilities are a top priority in post-disaster response. Schools play a vital role in maintaining the continuity of education and the social stability of affected communities. The synergy across state-owned enterprises in the “One Heart for Sumatra” program demonstrates that post-disaster recovery is a coordinated collective effort, not a piecemeal effort.
The involvement of state-owned enterprises also reflects the strategic role of the state-owned enterprise sector as an extension of the government in crisis situations. The focus on schools as a recovery priority demonstrates an understanding that education has long-term effects on social and economic stability. Children returning to school not only continue their learning process, but also contribute to the recovery process.r, but also restoring routines and a sense of security after the disaster.
Previously, President Prabowo Subianto instructed his staff to also pay attention to schools, hospitals, and community health centers damaged by flash floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, which must be immediately repaired and rebuilt so they can function as quickly as possible.
With schools reopening in early January 2026, the recovery is no longer just a plan. In simple classrooms, emergency tents, and newly cleaned buildings, learning is taking place again. From there, the recovery of Sumatra’s flooded areas finds its true meaning: rebuilding the future through education.
)*The author is a social issues observer