Schools in Manggarai Barat resume classes in emergency facilities

Labuan Bajo — Schools across Manggarai Barat regency have resumed teaching after the 7.7‑magnitude earthquake that struck Flores on 15 August 2026, but many students are still learning in emergency facilities and shortened schedules rather than returning to normal classroom operations.

National education authorities report that thousands of schools in Nusa Tenggara Timur have restarted learning in various formats, including temporary outdoor classrooms and distance learning, while damaged buildings are assessed and repaired, according to the Ministry of Education for Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen).

Abdul Mu’ti, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, said that by early September some 1,931 education units with 171,476 students in NTT had resumed learning activities, three weeks after the quake disrupted schooling across Flores. Of these, 1,504 schools were operating in emergency or temporary spaces, 392 were using distance learning, and only 35 had returned to regular face‑to‑face classes in permanent classrooms.

In a separate update based on monitoring through 10 September, Kemendikdasmen said 2,447 schools from early childhood to upper secondary levels had been recorded as affected by the quake, with 1,960 still running in emergency conditions while 487 had managed to resume classroom teaching under normal conditions. Many of the emergency schools are teaching under tents, in open areas or simple temporary structures in districts including Manggarai Barat, Manggarai, Manggarai Timur, Nagekeo, Sikka, Ngada and Ende.

Provincial education officials say classroom damage has been extensive in Manggarai Barat. The head of the NTT Education and Culture Office, Ambrosius Kodo, told local media that about 661 classrooms in the regency had been damaged, but learning had continued under restricted arrangements. According to his account, schools are prioritising exam‑grade classes, reducing student numbers and adjusting teaching hours while principals are encouraged to seek assistance to set up emergency learning spaces.

Emergency classrooms and outdoor lessons

Across Flores, schools have improvised to keep teaching going. In Kampung Baru on Longos Island in Manggarai Barat, residents built a makeshift school from wood and gebang leaves so that pupils at SDN Kampung Baru could resume lessons. The emergency classrooms are used by grades one to four, while grades five and six remain in a newer building assessed as relatively safe.

In another affected area of Manggarai Barat, students at SDI Jarak in Golo Mori have been attending lessons under trees and in temporary tents because their school building was damaged by the quake, according to national television coverage from early September. Teachers now deliver lessons outdoors or in tents and the school has avoided using the main classroom block while awaiting structural assessment and repair.

Other schools in Manggarai Barat and neighbouring districts have also shifted teaching onto verandas, terraces and open fields to reduce the risk from aftershocks and damaged structures. In some cases, schools that initially suspended classes or switched to online learning for around two weeks have returned to face‑to‑face teaching in rotation, with students divided into groups and only some classes attending on any given day.

Extended emergency period for education

National education officials have instructed schools with damaged buildings to halt teaching in unsafe classrooms and move lessons into secure areas, temporary tents or alternative spaces. Kemendikdasmen says the priority is student and staff safety while ensuring learning continues, and has sent at least 50 classroom tents to affected districts, including Manggarai Barat, to support emergency schooling.

Authorities describe the current arrangements as an extended emergency phase for education. Learning is continuing, but often with shorter hours, rotating attendance and makeshift infrastructure, while central and local governments work on assessments and decisions for rebuilding and constructing additional permanent classrooms. For families in Manggarai Barat, this means children are back in school settings, but day‑to‑day routines vary widely depending on the level of damage and the availability of safe space at each school.

Sources

• BBPMP Jabar – Kemendikdasmen update 4 September 2026
• TVRI News – Kemendikdasmen: 1.960 Sekolah di Flores Masih Belajar Darurat
• Kumparan – Foto: Kembali Belajar Usai Diguncang Gempa NTT
• Metro TV – Gedung Sekolah Rusak Pascagempa, Siswa SDI Jarak Belajar di Bawah Pohon
• RRI – Dari Kayu dan Daun Gebang, Warga Kampung Baru Bangun Sekolah Darurat Pascagempa
• Tribun NTT – KBM di Manggarai Barat Tetap Jalan Meski Ratusan Ruang Kelas Masih Rusak
• Medcom – Pulihkan Pendidikan di NTT, Kemendikdasmen Kirim 50 Tenda Ruang Kelas Darurat ke Wilayah Terdampak Gempa
• Detik Edu – 253 Sekolah Rusak Imbas Gempa Flores M 7,7
• Media Indonesia – Hampir Dua Pekan Belajar di Teras, Siswa SMPN 1 Pacar Masih Dibayangi Trauma Gempa