INDONESIA-US NAVY RENOVATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUILDING IN EAST JAVA

Surabaya, E Java July 29 (Antara) - The Indonesian and US Navy have collaborated to renovate the Tebalo Elementary School in Gresik District, East Java, as part of a joint training program. The Navy's Eastern Region Fleet Command's Chief Lieutenant Colonel Maman Sulaeman stated in Surabaya on Wednesday that the Indonesia-US Navy joint training was held under the code name Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2015. The CARAT is being held in Gresik District from June 27 to August 10, 2015. The school renovation was under the Engineer Enclosure (ENCAP) code and was held as part of community service of the joint training program. The community service to renovate the Tebalo Elementary School involved 60 personnel of the Indonesian Navy, 15 personnel of the American Navy, and some regional officials. They renovated six classrooms and a teacher's room and build two new toilets, one each for the teachers and students. Before the renovation was conducted, the school's building was in poor condition. There were no ceilings above the classrooms, and the roof frame was used by some bats and birds as a nesting place. Principal of the Tebalo Elementary School Kusuma Hati hoped that once the renovation is completed, the students can gain knowledge in cleaner and more comfortable classrooms. During the renovation process, Hati noted that the school had changed the shift timings for its students attending the school. The students belonging to the first to third grades attended school in the morning, while the fourth to sixth graders had classes in the afternoon. Earlier, the CARAT also conducted training on regional disaster mitigation on Monday.