Three gaping holes in the roof of MTs Pakis in Gununglurah Village, Cilongok District, Banyumas Regency, stand as a testament to both the destructive force of nature and the enduring spirit of mutual cooperation embedded in Indonesian communities. On a day when the sun briefly broke through the relentless week-long downpour, the collapsed school roof became more than just a structural problem—it became a rallying point for residents, students, and guardians determined to restore a cornerstone of their village. The scene reveals the powerful interplay between adversity and solidarity, a dynamic that remains crucial in many rural parts of Indonesia where resources are limited and collective effort is often the best hope for swift recovery.
The Anatomy of a Collapse: Rotten Timbers and Relentless Rain
Situated about 18 kilometers northwest of Purwokerto’s central square, MTs Pakis is a relatively young educational institution, established in 2013 to serve the children of Grumbul Pesawahan hamlet. The school operates under the jurisdiction of MTs Maarif NU 2 Cilongok and, for the 2022/2023 academic year, counted just 22 students across three classes. While these numbers may seem modest, for the local community, MTs Pakis represents a vital gateway to education and social mobility. The school’s vulnerability, though, mirrors that of many institutions in rural Indonesia: modestly funded, sometimes neglected structurally, and highly dependent on community involvement for maintenance and upgrades.The immediate cause of the roof’s collapse was twofold: extensive wood decay in the roof structure and continued heavy rains, which proved to be the final straw. “The roof had rotted and we had planned to renovate it during this holiday, but in addition to adding a classroom and office, it collapsed yesterday and last night. It had been raining continuously for almost a week,” said Isrodin, Head of MTs Pakis, in an interview that underscores the delicate balance between maintenance planning and urgent crisis response.
Mutual Aid in Action: Gotong Royong Tradition
Indonesia is renowned for its deeply entrenched tradition of “gotong royong,” a term loosely translated as mutual assistance or collective work for the common good. Across the archipelago, this social value acts as both a safety net and a driving force for local development, especially in times of crisis or scarcity.From early morning on the day after the collapse, MTs Pakis became a center of bustling activity, as dozens of local residents, students and parents heeded the call to act. Intact tiles were removed and stacked in a chain relay; decayed timbers were replaced under the supervision of experienced adults. Students, despite being on their holiday break, took an active role—relocating books and furniture, salvaging supplies, and learning firsthand the values of service and cooperation.
Eighth grader Farif, aged 14, reflected on the shift in priorities brought about by the emergency: “Normally during the holidays, we just hang out with our friends and play games on our phones. But yesterday, there was an invitation for a clean-up campaign at school.” The active participation of youth in the repair effort is noteworthy—not only because it reflects effective leadership from school staff, but also because it offers a rare educational moment outside the formal curriculum. Students learned skills as varied as teamwork, logistics, and even basic engineering, all within the crucible of a real-world challenge.
Female students also played a significant role, with many taking responsibility for moving equipment, organizing books, and preparing meals for the work crew. “I am happy to be able to help prepare food in this community work,” said Alfi, a 13-year-old student, echoing the critical, and often under-acknowledged, supportive roles that women and girls take in Indonesian community events. Mothers and residents contributed fresh vegetables and cooked meals, ensuring that the workers remained energized throughout the day.
Strengths of Community-Driven Response: Resilience and Sustainability
What stands out most vividly in the events at MTs Pakis is the self-organizing capability of the community in the face of adversity. In regions where public budgets are stretched thin and government response times may be slow, this kind of immediate, people-powered mobilization provides a practical lifeline. Key strengths of the mutual cooperation model include:- Rapid Mobilization: The repair began the very next morning following the collapse, minimizing downtime and potential hazards to students and staff.
- Resourcefulness: Community members contributed their skills, materials, and food, reducing costs and drawing on a broad base of local expertise.
- Social Capital: The shared labor reinforced community bonds, teaching younger generations the importance of working together for shared benefit.
- Educational Value: In addition to physical repairs, the event was an impromptu classroom for teamwork, logistics management, and civic responsibility.
- Sustainability: By investing time and energy into their own infrastructure, residents develop a sense of ownership that can translate into more proactive maintenance in the future.
Challenges and Risks: Limits of Volunteerism
While mutual cooperation can be a powerful force, it is not without its limitations and potential risks—many of which manifest in the aftermath of disasters or structural failures like that at MTs Pakis.1. Technical Limitations
Professional construction and repair work requires not only willing hands but also technical expertise. While local builders and experienced adults may be available in some cases, there is always the risk that repairs conducted without professional oversight could fall short of safety standards, inadvertently setting the stage for future problems.National standards for school construction in Indonesia, administered by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Works, are intended to provide a baseline for safety and durability. However, the reality for many rural or semi-rural schools is that they fall short of these ideals, due in part to limited funding and a reliance on volunteer labor for both the original build and subsequent repairs. Continual training and periodic professional inspections are necessary to bridge this gap, but such systems are often lacking.
2. Financial Constraints
While gotong royong can help stretch limited budgets, it cannot, by itself, resolve the chronic underfunding that many Indonesian schools face. The failure at MTs Pakis stemmed in part from postponed renovations due to financing—a common story for small madrasahs (Islamic secondary schools) in the region, many of which operate on shoestring budgets sourced, in part, from local donations and modest government support. Without more robust funding mechanisms, these institutions will remain vulnerable to recurring structural crises.3. Disaster Risk and Climate
Climate change amplifies the risk of similar events across Indonesia, as more intense rainfall, increased humidity, and temperature fluctuations accelerate the weathering of building materials, particularly in wooden structures. As seen in the case of MTs Pakis, a week of nearly continuous rain was sufficient to tip the roof from “needs renovation soon” to imminent collapse. This trend underscores the need for improved infrastructure resilience, including more regular inspections, use of weather-resistant materials, and risk assessments—all of which require both funding and expertise.4. Safety of Volunteers
Though the community-driven repair at MTs Pakis is laudable, there are inherent risks in untrained volunteers engaging in potentially hazardous work—such as working at height, with decaying timbers, or with unfamiliar tools. Injuries can occur, and without a proper safety framework, the risk to children and adults is increased. Routine safety briefings, access to basic protective equipment, and clearly delineated roles would mitigate such risks in the future.5. Educational Disruption
Although the damage occurred during school holidays, minimizing immediate disruption to learning, the coincidence was fortuitous rather than planned. Structural failures during the academic term could force significant interruptions to learning, with potential long-term impacts on educational outcomes.Comparative Context: Rural School Safety Beyond Indonesia
The situation at MTs Pakis is emblematic of a broader issue seen throughout Southeast Asia and the Global South: rural schools vulnerable to environmental hazards, insufficiently funded, and caught between government support and community volunteerism.A 2023 UNESCO report on education infrastructure highlights similar conditions in neighboring countries such as the Philippines and Myanmar, where school collapses following typhoons and heavy rains have forced entire communities to mobilize—sometimes successfully, sometimes not. These events consistently expose gaps in funding, regulatory oversight, and emergency response systems.
However, there are also instructive examples of best practices. In Vietnam, for instance, public-private partnerships have enabled the mobilization of resources for rural school redevelopment, including technical support from NGOs and government agencies. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, the introduction of weather-resistant school designs and routine risk evaluations have reportedly reduced disaster impacts in recent years. These cases point to the potential for hybrid models that combine local initiative with technical and financial inputs from central agencies and private actors.
What Next for MTs Pakis? Prospects and Future Security
With the school holiday set to end on July 17th, according to Principal Isrodin, the hope is that repairs will be completed swiftly and classes can resume safely. The episode offers a moment for reflection—not only for the community of Gununglurah but also for policymakers, donors, and educational stakeholders across Indonesia.Recommendations for Long-term Resilience
- Enhanced Funding Mechanisms: There is a pressing need for increased, predictable financial support for the maintenance and upgrade of rural educational facilities. Models such as school endowment funds, matched community-government grants, or systematic CSR (corporate social responsibility) partnerships could help break the cycle of crisis-driven repair.
- Technical Training and Oversight: Embedding routine technical support in community-driven initiatives—either through periodic visits from government building inspectors or collaborations with local vocational schools—can elevate safety and durability standards without dampening community spirit.
- Climate Adaptation: Adoption of weather-resistant construction materials and techniques should be prioritized. Proactive adaptation strategies, including improved drainage, moss management, and early-warning mechanisms for structural fatigue, should become part of standard school maintenance routines.
- Safety Protocols: Every volunteer mobilization should include basic safety trainings and the use of appropriate protective gear. Liability issues must also be clarified by local authorities to prevent tragedy turning into legal quagmires.
- Recordkeeping and Transparency: Maintaining detailed records of repairs, materials used, and inspection dates can help communities and local governments monitor risk, allocate resources, and intervene before failures occur.
- Youth Engagement: Encourage structured youth involvement in community improvement projects. This will not only support current needs but also foster a new generation of socially responsible citizens capable of tackling future challenges.
Critical Perspective: The Fine Balance of Tradition and Modernity
The story of MTs Pakis’s roof collapse and subsequent repair is much more than a tale of construction woe; it illustrates the delicate balance between tradition-driven social solidarity and the imperatives of modern infrastructure management. Gotong royong is not a panacea for all rural infrastructure issues, but it remains a bedrock of Indonesian society—a resource to be strengthened, not supplanted.At the same time, as Indonesia advances its national development agenda and grapples with both natural hazards and demographic pressures, it is vital to ensure that community efforts are not left to compensate for chronic systemic shortcomings. Mutual cooperation should be the first line of resilience but backed by robust systems that ensure safety, sustainability, and educational continuity for all.
The Enduring Relevance of Community Action
As classrooms and offices at MTs Pakis fill once again with students and teachers, the repaired roof overhead will symbolize not only the perseverance of a small community but also the critical role of local initiative in the wider Indonesian educational landscape. Yet, for every MTs Pakis that is rebuilt by volunteers, there are countless other schools awaiting more than just the next patch-up job. The challenge—and opportunity—lies in channeling the spirit of mutual cooperation into a new, sustainable model for rural school safety and development in Indonesia and beyond.Source: Kompas.id Mutual Cooperation Repairs Collapsed School Roof in Banyumas
