Better education urgent for Banten, experts say<\/p>\n
ANYER, Banten (JP): To prepare for the enactment of the
\nregional autonomy law in 2001, the authorities of the newly
\nestablished Banten province should first focus on improving
\neducation, an economist said here on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Building schools and universities is an urgent task for Banten
\nto help improve the quality of human resources, which in turn
\nwill help the region catch up with other provinces, University of
\nIndonesia economist Bambang Brodjonegoro said during a seminar.<\/p>\n
He said the province would have numerous opportunities to
\ndevelop its economy. "But Banten must have an adequate number of
\neducational institutions, ranging from kindergartens to academies
\nand universities, to improve the quality of human resources and
\nto cope with the unemployment problem."<\/p>\n
At the moment, Bambang said, Banten only has the private
\nTirtayasa University in Cilegon.<\/p>\n
The province was made the country's 28th first-level
\nadministrative region in a bill enacted by the House of
\nRepresentatives earlier this month. The bill is expected to be
\nsigned into law by President Abdurrahman Wahid early next month.<\/p>\n
According to the bill, Banten will consist of four regencies
\n(Serang, Pandeglang, Lebak and Tangerang) and two mayoralties
\n(Tangerang and Cilegon), which were formerly included in West
\nJava province. With a population of some nine million, the
\nprovince will have its capital in Serang.<\/p>\n
Bambang said illiteracy, high unemployment and low life
\nexpectancy were still fundamental problems faced in many remote
\nareas of Banten.<\/p>\n
A 1999 national survey revealed that the majority of the
\nprovince's four-million workforce was illiterate, he said. About
\n22 percent of the population is still jobless and the life
\nexpectancy is about 50 years, or 10 years below the national
\nfigure.<\/p>\n
Bambang said Lebak and Pandeglang were the least-developed of
\nthe four regencies, while the social conditions in Tangerang and
\nSerang regencies and Tangerang mayoralty were relatively better.<\/p>\n
He said about 32 percent of the workers in the two regencies
\nwere elementary school dropouts, and a majority of the Badui
\npeople were illiterate because they were isolated in remote areas
\nin Lebak and Ujungkulong.<\/p>\n
Sardjono Djatiman, a sociologist from the University of
\nIndonesia who also spoke at the seminar, said the authorities
\nshould adopt a sociocultural approach to encourage locals to
\nparticipate in the development of the new province.<\/p>\n
"The growth-oriented development paradigm should be replaced
\nby a sociocultural one aimed at encouraging the people to be the
\nagents of local development," he said.<\/p>\n
He said the presence of industries in the province had not
\nbenefited locals because the development policy was oriented
\ntoward economic growth, as it was in other part of the country.<\/p>\n
Sardjono, who conducted research in Banten in 1970, refuted
\nBambang's assertion that many people in the area were illiterate.<\/p>\n
According to him, while many people cannot read or write using
\nthe Latin alphabet, most can read and write Arabic.<\/p>\n
"While a modern education should be promoted, the government
\ncould use the Arabic language which might be more popular and
\ncommunicative in serving the locals, especially those who are
\nstill illiterate in the Latin alphabet," he said.<\/p>\n
He said that from a sociological point of view, the new
\nprovince would depend more on Jakarta and southern Sumatra than
\nthe neighboring West Java province.<\/p>\n
"Banten is a bridge for people going to Java and Sumatra and
\nvice versa, and part of its population migrated from Sumatra and
\nJava," he said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that Banten, with its potential in industry,
\nfarming and tourism, had a good opportunity to catch up in terms
\nof development with other provinces, including West Java.<\/p>\n
"The new province has its industrial zones in Tangerang,
\nSerang and Cilegon, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in
\nTangerang, tourist resorts along its northern coastal areas,
\nprotected forest in Ujungkulon, Merak seaport and the traditional
\nagriculture sector. All this will contribute to local
\ndevelopment," he said.<\/p>\n
He also reminded investors in the region to contribute to the
\nsocial development of locals, saying they should learn from the
\nIndorayon case in Porsea, North Sumatra, and the Freeport case in
\nIrian Jaya.<\/p>\n
"Investors should not pay only the technological cost and dump
\ntheir waste in the local environment, but also put aside a part
\nof their annual profits to help local social development
\nprograms," he said. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/better-education-urgent-for-banten-experts-say-1447893297",
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