Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) provided electric cars for meeting the practical needs of students at Rangas 1 Vocational School in Simboro Sub-district, Mauju District, West Sulawesi Province.

"This afternoon, I sent an electric car for vocational practice, not driving," the president stated after inaugurating the infrastructure reconstruction at Rangas 1 Vocational School, on Tuesday, as followed from a broadcast in Jakarta.

The head of state provided the practical learning facility in the form of an electric car at the request of school principals and the local government in order to develop students' knowledge in the latest transportation technology.

He noted that the school was one of the 147 rehabilitated and reconstructed infrastructure units by the central government following the earthquake in West Sulawesi on January 15, 2021.

Under the reconstruction, the government equipped the school building with an automotive science practice room. However, the available car for practice was only a manual car.

"I received a request stating that the school only had a manual car. Nowadays, it is the era of electric cars. Therefore, we need to learn about electric car as well," Jokowi emphasized.

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Apart from submitting a request for an electric car, the school also proposed additional facilities in the form of a dormitory for students living far from the school.

Based on reports from the school, the president stated that students residing far from the school must live in a boarding house.

"The school principal told me that students need dormitories because many live far from the school and had to pay to live in a boarding house near the school," Jokowi explained.

He then immediately approved the request and promised to build a dormitory in coordination with related authorities.

"Yes, later, we will build the dormitory," he stated.

Jokowi's visit to Rangas 1 Vocational School is part of his series of working visits to West Sulawesi since April 22. He was also scheduled to visit Tumpah Mamasa Market and Kondosapta General Hospital (RSUD) as well as review road infrastructure in the area.

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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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