Compulsory Education Program Will Begin on May 2<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will officially mark the
\nbeginning of the new nine year compulsory education program on
\nMay 2 at the Jakarta Hilton Convention Center.<\/p>\n
The Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro
\nreported the preparations for the launching of the program, which
\nwill be made in coincidence with National Education Day, to the
\nPresident yesterday at the Bina Graha.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto will address the ceremony and communicate
\nwith governors, students and teachers from three provinces: Aceh,
\nSouth Sulawesi and Irian Jaya through satellite,\" Wardiman told
\nthe press.<\/p>\n
Wardiman said that the big obstacles to the program are the
\nlack of buildings for junior high schools, books and the quality
\nof teachers. \"There are around 12.8 million students aged 13-15
\nyears old, while there are only 6.8 million places to accommodate
\nthem,\" He said.<\/p>\n
The government is only able to accommodate 400,000 of the
\nother 6 million, either in new schools or additional classes.<\/p>\n
Wardiman added that the results of the six year compulsory
\neducation program seem good. \"In 1993, 94 percent (26.5 million)
\nof children aged 7-12 years old studied in elementary school,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He cautioned, however, that the success of a program can not
\nbe judged from numbers but from the quality, and the Ministry of
\nEducation and Culture will increase the quality of schools by
\nproviding more books, and upgrading teachers' skills.<\/p>\n
Wardiman hoped the target of the program will be achieved in
\n10 years, five years quicker than set by President Soeharto, if
\nthe budget is enough. \"In this sense we hope that people will
\nparticipate so schools do not fully rely on the government,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Delinquency<\/p>\n
He said that more and more junior high schools will begin free
\nduring the new program.<\/p>\n
\"To educate is also the job of society, including parents,
\nbecause the values taught in school do not mean anything when the
\nsociety does not respect those values,\" he said in commenting on
\nstudent brawls and vandalism.<\/p>\n
He cited other reasons for juvenile delinquency. \"According to
\nsociologists, the other reasons are a lack of playgrounds, and
\nfamily conditions,\" he said. Poverty is also thought to be a
\nfactor<\/p>\n
He pointed to private boarding schools in Balige, Sibolga
\nNorth Sumatra, and Magelang Central Java, created by people who
\nare concerned about education of their area as place to produce
\nhigh discipline and bright students. \"Unfortunately those schools
\nneed big budgets and can not be copied by the government,\"
\nWardiman said.<\/p>\n
Wardiman hoped that more businessmen will participate in
\neducation by building schools in their provinces so there will be
\nmore students from all over Indonesia who become successful.(01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/compulsory-education-program-will-begin-on-may-2-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}