goodmorningpapua.com – Every morning before school time, in front of the dock, made entirely of wood, the children of SD Kampung Atamali, Jayapura Regency, Papua gather. They waited for each other to go to school together by a boat.
Jimmy Melansena, an 8-year-old boy, is still in the 2nd grade of elementary school. He and about 49 elementary school children from Atamali attend school in Kensio Village. They study at the Inpres Kensio Elementary School. Activities at the school take place Monday to Friday from 8 am to 12 noon.
The distance from their village to their school is about 500 meters. To get to school there is only one access by boat. The boat is the capital for the children of Atamali Village so they don’t miss their lessons.
Using a boat has risks, because the boat is light and small in size. Jimmy since grade 1 elementary school using his own boat. He admitted last week when he came home from school the boat he was traveling in capsized. It happened because the lake wind blew the boat.
The average boat used by the children is 4 to 10 meters long and 50 to 70 cm wide. No wonder if there are children who have to sit squat on the boat and it is very important to maintain balance.
Atamali village is included in Ebungfauw District, Jayapura Regency. The village with an area of approximately 2.5 hectares is in the middle of Lake Sentani. The village is inhabited by approximately 40 families who survive as fishermen and gardeners.
Ibo admitted that it has been around 15 years since elementary school children from Atamali Village went to school by boat. Because the 15 pk engined boat that was once used to transport the children was damaged.
In Atamali Village there are about 50 elementary school age children. While the junior high school age amounted to about 30 children and high school age 20 people. Most junior and senior high school children go to school in the city of Sentani. In Kampung Atamali there is one elementary school, namely SD Negeri Atamali. This school is only intended for grade 1 and grade 2. However, it is not open because there are no teachers.
Ibo admitted that sometimes elementary-aged children in Atamali Village could not go to school for up to a month because the school did not have a teacher. This ultimately affects their reading and writing skill.