Districts mobilized to improve nine-year basic education<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Bogor, West Java<\/p>\n
For Theresia, 59, an elementary school teacher in Ende regency,
\nEast Nusa Tenggara, providing qualified basic education to her
\npeople is a great challenge.<\/p>\n
She says many school-aged children in the province miss out on
\nan education because they live several kilometers from schools
\nand their parents cannot afford the tuition, pushing dropout
\nlevels in the province up.<\/p>\n
\"The teachers also face difficulty in keeping abreast of the
\nlatest teaching techniques since our library is short of
\nreference books,\" Theresia told The Jakarta Post over the
\nweekend.<\/p>\n
Theresia was one of the teachers at the launch of the Quality
\nBasic Education for All (QBEFA) campaign on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The campaign has been organized by the Ministry of National
\nEducation in cooperation with United Nations Children's Fund
\n(Unicef) and AusAID.<\/p>\n
QBEFA will be held in 20 selected districts in Jakarta, West,
\nCentral and East Java, East and West Nusa Tenggara, South
\nSulawesi and Papua.<\/p>\n
The campaign aims at encouraging parents, teachers, school
\nprincipals, education policymakers, children, the media and the
\nprivate sector to help ensure that children across the country
\nreceive a qualified nine-year basic education.<\/p>\n
Unicef Indonesia recorded that some 850,000 children across
\nthe country have never been to school, while around 1.2 million
\nchildren have dropped out of school.<\/p>\n
Steven Allen, representative of Unicef Indonesia, said the
\ninitial campaign would be held until December and involve
\ncommunity leaders and television and radio stations.<\/p>\n
\"We will introduce the new teaching and learning approach, and
\ncommunity-based school management to support the quality of
\neducation, relevant subjects and students retention at school,\"
\nhe told the Post.<\/p>\n
Allen said the program would guide teachers to create a child-
\ncentered learning environment, where pupils are encouraged to
\nspeak and give their opinion instead of depending on a teacher's
\nexplanation all the time.<\/p>\n
\"We need a learning environment that allows teachers to see a
\nstudent as an individual, not just as a body sitting on chair
\nnumber 13 or 15. But actually she or he is a real person,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Allen said that schools should also design subjects relevant
\nto the current situation.<\/p>\n
\"The children need to be informed about the prevention of
\nHIV\/AIDS, ways to avoid unhealthy lifestyles like smoking
\ncigarettes, and ways to deal with nonviolent conflict resolutions
\nand learn other ways to discuss and settle differences\" he said.<\/p>\n
Allen added that communities would be empowered through the
\nprogram to contribute their resources, energy, commitment and
\ncreativity to participate in schooling activities.<\/p>\n
He said that rich families could give financial support to
\nschools, while parents who had skills and capability in teaching
\ncould help create a new atmosphere in the classroom.<\/p>\n
Allen added that mothers could also help teachers provide
\nteaching-learning aids using materials available but affordable
\nand sustainable.<\/p>\n
\"So schools do not have to buy imported teaching materials or
\ndepend on the arrival of aid from Jakarta or an international
\nagency,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Allen hoped that the program could persuade policymakers to
\nallocate some 20 percent of public funds for education.<\/p>\n
\"Education is the best investment because an uneducated
\npopulation is likely to become a passive population or people who
\nare easily manipulated by politicians for their own private
\nagenda,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/districts-mobilized-to-improve-nine-year-basic-education-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}