Computer should be taught at schools<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Although the government currently has no
\nimmediate plan to include computer lessons in the national school
\ncurriculum, a senior official of the Ministry of Education and
\nCulture says schools in major urban centers should introduce the
\nsubject as early as primary school levels.<\/p>\n
Computer training for school children in large cities is
\nneeded to prepare them for a world in which computers are a part
\nof everyday life, the Ministry of Education and Culture's
\nDirector of Elementary School Djauzak Ahmad said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"At least in large cities, children should be prepared from an
\nearly age to be familiar with computers,\" Djauzak said addressing
\nthe start of the fourth national computer contest for elementary
\nstudents yesterday.<\/p>\n
He proposed that schools use the \"local content\" hours
\nallocated in the national school curriculum to teach computer.<\/p>\n
The mayoralty or the regency administrations decide the
\nsubjects for the \"local content\" hours for state-run schools. In
\nBali, schools use these hours for additional English lessons
\ngiven that the population there actively interacts with the
\nmillions of foreign tourists who visit the island.<\/p>\n
Some regions chose local dialects to fill in the eight hours
\nallocated for local content subjects.<\/p>\n
Privately run schools, however, are free to decide on their
\nown local content subjects and some, like the Santa Maria school
\nin Central Jakarta, has already introduced computer as a subject.<\/p>\n
\"For schools in Jakarta and other large cities, computer
\ntraining would be appropriate,\" said Djauzak said.<\/p>\n
In the past virtually all job vacancy advertisements
\nstipulated fluency in English as a requirement; nowadays the
\nability to operate a computer has been added as the second most
\nbasic requirement for many jobs offers.<\/p>\n
Djauzak acknowledged that the introduction of computer as a
\nsubject in the curriculum of urban schools would further widen
\nthe disparity already existing between urban and rural schools.<\/p>\n
He said however that students in poorer areas would in time
\ncatch up.<\/p>\n
\"Some children will get these facilities sooner, and some will
\nget them later,\" he said, adding that funds are a great obstacle
\nto the equal distribution of sophisticated school equipment.<\/p>\n
\"But we will never make progress if we always think in terms
\nof exclusivity (of access to technological skills).\"<\/p>\n
Djauzak also reminded that teachers should be creative and not
\ndepend on technology where access is not yet possible.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Indonesian Association of Computer and
\nInformation Professionals, Safwan Natanagara, said more awareness
\nis needed in the importance of computer literacy.<\/p>\n
\"People tend to think of the costs,\" he said, \"But I am sure
\nmany families can now afford it, it's just a matter of whether
\nthey want it.\"<\/p>\n
Djauzak said that as the 1994 curricula for elementary schools
\nstresses skills in reading, writing and arithmetics, software
\nshould be developed in this direction. There is much software
\nalready developed and marketed by private companies.<\/p>\n
The results of the contest, organized by the association and
\nthe Computerkid Learning Center, will be announced on
\nFriday.(anr)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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