By: Nadira Putri Rahman )*
The natural disasters that struck several regions in Sumatra at the end of 2025 affected various public service sectors, including education. Thousands of educational institutions were impacted with varying levels of damage, ranging from minor to severe, potentially disrupting the continuity of teaching and learning activities. In this context, educational recovery has become a crucial agenda in post-disaster management, given that education is a fundamental right of citizens that must continue to be fulfilled even in emergency situations.
Since the emergency response phase began, the central government, through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and other relevant stakeholders, has taken an active approach to ensure that schools do not come to a complete halt despite damage to physical infrastructure. The Vice Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Atip Latipulhayat, explained that from the outset the government combined measures such as cleaning lightly damaged schools, utilizing temporary learning spaces, and implementing shared-use schemes with nearby schools for institutions that were severely damaged. This approach demonstrates policy flexibility that prioritizes students’ rights rather than being constrained solely by technical limitations on the ground.
The recovery of learning activities, which has now reached nearly all affected areas, serves as an important indicator of the effectiveness of these policies. In Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra, teaching and learning activities were able to resume within a relatively short time, although some are still taking place in tents or emergency facilities. The fact that student attendance has continued to increase over time indicates public trust in the government’s measures, while also showing that state intervention has been able to restore a sense of security for parents and students.
The presence of the state is also reflected in concrete support that goes beyond the provision of learning spaces. The distribution of tens of thousands of school supply packages, the construction of hundreds of emergency classrooms, and the distribution of learning books have all been carried out to ensure that the learning process remains meaningful despite existing limitations. This policy underscores that the fulfillment of the right to education is not reduced merely to students’ physical presence at school, but also encompasses the provision of a minimum acceptable quality of learning.
Another aspect that deserves appreciation is the government’s attention to the continuity of teachers’ roles in affected areas. The decision to disburse various allowances without requiring formal teaching loads reflects the state’s understanding of emergency realities on the ground. Prof. Atip Latipulhayat emphasized that this policy was adopted to safeguard teachers’ welfare so they can remain focused on supporting students who are facing difficult psychological conditions. This step strengthens the position of teachers as the frontline of post-disaster social recovery.
Coordination across ministries and with regional governments has been another decisive factor in accelerating educational recovery. Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, who led several coordination meetings on disaster response acceleration in Sumatra, placed educational recovery as a top priority. The active involvement of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Disaster Management Agency, and local governments demonstrates that post-disaster education is understood as a collective responsibility of the state, rather than the sole burden of a technical ministry.
Direct visits to affected schools, such as those conducted by Tito Karnavian in Central Tapanuli, conveyed a strong political message that the state is present down to the level of individual educational institutions. Dialogue with school principals and teachers opened space for more responsive policies tailored to real needs in the field, ranging from accelerated school clean-up to the restoration of damaged learning facilities. This approach narrows the gap between policy formulation at the central level and implementation at the regional level.
Challenges remain going forward, particularly regarding the relocation of schools that cannot be rebuilt at their original sites. However, the government’s decision to prepare funding through revitalization schemes and to involve local governments in determining new locations demonstrates seriousness in ensuring the long-term sustainability of education. Relocation is not viewed merely as a physical construction project, but as an effort to protect students from the risk of recurring disasters.
The handling of post-disaster education in Sumatra illustrates a consistent pattern of state action in maintaining the continuity of public services amid crisis situations. The policies adopted are not only oriented toward rapid recovery, but are also designed to ensure that the recovery process is orderly, coordinated, and accountable. Education is not positioned as a sector that must wait for the recovery of other sectors, but rather proceeds in parallel as a fundamental societal need.
This approach is crucial, given that prolonged disruptions to education have the potential to cause long-term impacts that are difficult to reverse. The government appears to recognize that interruptions in the learning process, especially at the primary and secondary levels, could widen disparities in human resource quality across regions. Therefore, the decision to reactivate schools even under emergency schemes can be understood as a preventive step to avert greater social losses.
Post-disaster educational recovery is not merely about restoring classrooms and learning schedules, but about safeguarding the continuity of citizens’ rights amid uncertainty. The government’s efforts in Sumatra demonstrate an intention to ensure that disasters do not sever children’s access to education. Within this framework, education is treated as a long-term social investment that must be protected, even when the state is confronted with emergency pressures.
*) Analyst of Human Resource Development and Educational Innovation
