Experts hail 2003 education budget but warn of abuses<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Education experts praised on Sunday the government's plan to
\nincrease the education budget to Rp 13.6 trillion (US$1.5
\nbillion) next year from Rp 11.6 trillion this year, but warned
\nthat it should closely monitor the allocation of the funds.<\/p>\n
Experts J.P. Drost and Arief Rahman said the increase on
\neducation spending was necessary to help attain a good quality of
\nhuman resources.<\/p>\n
\"It's a good signal from the government, but it must ensure
\nthat the funds go to the right persons, not to the corruptors,\"
\nDrost told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"There is an increased realization from the government that
\neducation is actually an investment in the future. This
\nopportunity must be utilized by teachers to develop the education
\nsystem, not a means to grab some easy money,\" Arif said.<\/p>\n
According to Drost, the government had correctly allocated the
\nplanned funds to develop a nine-year obligatory education.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri said in her speech at the
\nHouse of Representatives on Friday that the government planned to
\nallocate Rp 13.6 trillion (US$1.5 billion) for education.<\/p>\n
The amount accounts for some 25 percent of total development
\nspending of Rp 55.5 trillion, but less than 4 percent of the
\ntotal government expenditure of Rp 354 trillion.<\/p>\n
Article 31 (4) of the amended 1945 Constitution stipulates
\nthat the state shall give priority to the education budget by
\nallocating a minimum of 20 percent of the total state and
\nregional budgets, to meet the costs of national education.<\/p>\n
The government raised the education expenditure, although it's
\nstill far short of the 20 percent minimum as mandated in the
\namended Constitution.<\/p>\n
Megawati said on Friday that the government would earmark the
\neducation funds for improving the implementation of the nine-year
\nobligatory school curriculum.<\/p>\n
The improvement would include rehabilitation, classification,
\nand development of elementary schools and traditional Islamic
\nschools as well as other schools, she said.<\/p>\n
\"Scholarships and aid for students from poor families will be
\nraised,\" Megawati said.<\/p>\n
The government would also decentralize education, she added.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, under Megawati's father, President Sukarno had one
\nof the best education systems in all of Asia, but in the past 30
\nyears has fallen precipitously, as numerous ratings have put it
\nas one of the worst in Asia.<\/p>\n
Arief said with the increased funds, the government should be
\nable to modify the standard of education, which only focused on
\nmemorization, while leaving out character building.<\/p>\n
The government should also actively try to introduce education
\nin rural, conflict and poor areas to help improve the standard of
\nliving for the millions of children in those areas, he said.<\/p>\n
In the routine spending section of the budget, the government
\nalso planned to increase the salary of teachers, police and
\nmilitary officers as well as other civil servants by 10 percent
\nstarting Jan. 1, 2003.<\/p>\n
The government also plans to increase teachers' basic benefit
\npackage by some 50 percent starting on Oct. 1 this year.<\/p>\n
In addition, per diem amounts for police and military
\npersonnel deployed in war zones outside their home province (most
\nmilitary and police are from Java, but are stationed in areas
\nsuch as Aceh and Papua) will be raised from Rp 12,500 to Rp
\n15,000 in January, 2003.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/experts-hail-2003-education-budget-but-warn-of-abuses-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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