Rimba School, Second Home for Children of the Jungle
The Rimbo Pintar School is not just a place for studies. The tiny tilt-house school is like a second home for the children who live in Bukit Duabelas National Park in Jambi.
By
IRMA TAMBUNAN
·5 minutes read
IRMA TAMBUNAN
Anak rimba (jungle children) learn to read, write and count at the Rimba Pintar School which was built at the buffer zone of the Bukit Duabelas National Park, Sarolangun Regency, Jambi, Tuesday (14/3/2023).
The existence of the modest school is not without reason. Years ago, Temenggung Bepayung and a number of parents had difficulty sending their children to school. They also wanted their children to be literate.
Bepayung and his two children, Besutau, 10, and Miteng, 7, have to leave the sudung, the simple hut of the Orang Rimba, every day. Early in the morning, they walk through the dense forest, which is a national park. It usually takes almost 3 hours to get to the nearest school in Air Hitam District, Sarolangun regency.
During this long journey, it is not uncommon for Miteng to stumble on roots. Bepayung has to carry his child so they can quickly reach the edge of the forest. From there they take public transportation to go to school. That's the long routine that must be performed in order to get an education.
Bepayung and other parents wanted a school for Orang Rimba close to their own living area. "If possible, we wanted to build it ourselves," he said in mid-March , about the dream some time ago of having a school for the jungle children.
This desire prompted him to stop at the Bukit Dua Belas National Park Office in Sarolangun district. He proposed to the officers there the construction of a school for the community.
If possible, we wanted to build it ourselves.
The national park officials agreed. They gathered materials and tools together. There was also assistance from local plantation companies. The location for the school was prepared at the edge of the forest. Construction finally began in 2018.
The parents of the jungle children, the park rangers and the company staff also worked together to build it in a short time. A sized tilt-house school measuring 5 by 6 square meters was standing a few weeks later.
IRMA TAMBUNAN
Jungle children prepare to study at the Rimba Pintar School which was built at the buffer zone of the Bukit Duabelas National Park, Sarolangun Regency, Jambi, Tuesday (14/3/2023).
The school building looks simple. It has wooden floors, a tin roof and half-open walls. However, the school has spurred the enthusiasm of the residents of the remote community to send their children to school.
Thirty-five students now study there, consisting of 17 pre-school and kindergarten students and 18 elementary school students.
They were guided by local residents, Rismawan and Noviarum, as volunteer teachers. Later, the two were recruited as conservation cadres by the TNBD office.
Due to the limited classroom space, the teachers make efficient and staggered use of the building. Some hold classes inside the tilt-house school. Others teach outside of the school.
Some children from grade four to grade six were selected to attend the nearest formal school. Every day, officers pick them up at the edge of the forest to take them to the formal school.
Adaptivity
Education programs for rural communities are increasingly being facilitated, by the government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. If previously Orang Rimba had to leave the forest to study at school, now a number of programs are packaged more adaptively, starting from the “nomadic” school program to attending school at the edge of the forest.
Learning in “nomadic” school mode can be done anywhere. It can take place in the middle of a forest, under a shady tree or on grass. The venue for the study activities is not confined to the classroom. Students do not need to be in uniform.
IRMA TAMBUNAN
Rismawan and Noviarum, teachers for jungle children at the Rimba Pintar School which was built at the buffer zone of the Bukit Duabelas National Park, Sarolangun Regency, Jambi, Tuesday (14/3/2023).
The teachers also follow their students who live nomadically, for example, when the students have to relocate due to melangun (mourning), or the ritual of relocating to a new place because a family member has died.
Rismawan and Noviarum, who like to go on adventures, don't mind if they have to relocate around in the forest. They also share tasks. Sometimes, Rismawan takes care of the “mobile” school while Noviarum takes care of the jungle school. The next time, they switch.
"The important thing is that parents want us to teach there," said Noviarum.
Staying the night
Apart from being a place for learning, Rimbo Pintar School is also considered a second home. Bepayung said there were times when the children stayed overnight at school.
"When it's too late, too far into the jungle, the children usually sleep at school," said Bepayung.
Early in the morning, the two teachers prepare breakfast for the students, whose board and tuition are supported by PT Sari Aditya Loka, a palm oil plantation business in the area. Rismawan said the jungle children had a great curiosity about new things. When learning to read and write, they are diligent in front of books. Time is not a barrier.
That's what motivated him to continue teaching. Moreover, the times have increasingly eroded the social barriers between the Orang Rimba and outsiders.
If not fortified with literacy, Orang Rimba could be left far behind. They will also be easily deceived.
Rismawan hopes that more and more young generations of Orang Rimba will become more empowered by pursuing formal education.
