The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Friday handed an elementary school building in Kajeung, Sungai Mas sub district, to the people and government of West Aceh District, ANTARA reported. The school building, the 49th UNICEF had reconstructed in Aceh under its post-tsunami assistance program, was handed by the head of the UNICEF Representative Office in Meulaboh, Frederic Sizaret, to West Aceh District Chief Ramli MS. Earlier, on Thursday, UNICEF also handed two buildings to house the Islamic Elementary Boarding School of Peulanteu Lembalek and state elementary school of Suak Ie Beusou in Arongan Lembalek sub district to the West Aceh district head. The three buildings are among 18 school buildings rebuilt by UNICEF in West Aceh. The school buildings each consist of a number of class rooms and also offer sports facilities, Sizaret said. Up to April 10, he added, UNICEF had rebuilt 49 school buildings and handed them over the local people and administrations, consisting of 25 units in Aceh Jaya District, 18 units in West Aceh District and six units in Nagan Raya District. He said UNICEF would always try to support the Indonesian government in making basic education affordable by the people. Therefore, he added, UNICEF was committed to rebuilding 109 school buildings across the west cost of Aceh as part of the rehabilitation of 346 school building units in Aceh and Nias damaged by the quake and tsunami on December 26, 2004 or due to the past armed conflict in the province. He said UNICEF would also help to improve the quality of education in these schools along with the local education office by giving training to school principals and community figures on program creating learning communities for children (CLCC).
