JP\/4\/EDU<\/p>\n
Govt criticized for 'avoiding responsibility' in education<\/p>\n
Hera Diani
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
In many developed countries, if parents refuse to send their
\nchildren to school to enjoy free education they can be taken to
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
Such a situation is not found in Indonesia, despite the fact
\nthat the government is obliged by the amended 1945 Constitution
\nto finance primary education.<\/p>\n
The government even imposes financial burdens on parents to
\nfinance their children's education. Despite parents not being
\nable to afford to send their children to school due to poverty,
\nthe government refuses to accept blame.<\/p>\n
Activists have accused the government of trying to avoid their
\nresponsibility to provide free, quality education, by making the
\ncommunity shoulder the burden.<\/p>\n
Instead of increasing the low national education budget from
\nonly six percent of the budget -- among the lowest in the world
\n-- the government has issued policies that critics say shows that
\nit is neglecting the education sector. The Constitution requires
\nthat at least 20 percent of the state budget be allocated to
\neducation.<\/p>\n
Yanti Muchtar of E-net (Education Network) for Justice
\nIndonesia told a recent seminar that the trend towards
\n\"privatization\" of education has strengthened, resulting in more
\npoverty.<\/p>\n
She cited Article 7 of Law No. 20\/2003 on the national
\neducation system, which obligates parents to provide primary
\neducation for their children.<\/p>\n
\"The law also obliges the community to provide resources to
\ncarry out education, as well as putting the responsibility for
\neducational funding on the government, local administrations and
\nthe community,\" Yanti said.<\/p>\n
\"Whereas, this is all the central government's
\nresponsibility.\"<\/p>\n
Other head scratching policies, Yanti added, included subsidy
\ncuts for public universities and turning them into corporations,
\nas well as the draft of a new government regulation on primary
\nand secondary education.<\/p>\n
The draft did not stipulate the government's responsibility to
\nprovide nine years of free, quality primary education, but
\ninstead required the community to shoulder the burden.<\/p>\n
\"The policies breach the government's own commitments to the
\nUnited Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in which
\neducation-for-all should be achieved by 2015. The government has
\nagreed with the concept that guarantees that every citizen must
\nget a quality and free primary education,\" Yanti said.<\/p>\n
E-net for Justice also revealed that local governments'
\ncommitment is no better. For example, the Bogor regency
\nadministration has only allocated 3.24 percent of its 2004 budget
\nfor education. It also allotted only Rp 100 million for books and
\nlibraries, compared to Rp 1.3 billion for civil servants'
\nuniforms.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Revrisond Baswir of the Anti-Debt Coalition (KAU)
\nsaid the government has allocated a much larger amount from the
\nstate budget to repay foreign debt of around Rp 145 trillion
\n(some US$15.3 billion) per year.<\/p>\n
\"Compare that to the education budget of only Rp 14 trillion.
\nThe biggest allocation of the state budget goes to the national
\nbanking system. Clearly, the government's commitment to education
\nis very poor,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yanti said foreign donors, particularly the World Bank and the
\nAsian Development Bank, had contributed to policies of reducing
\nthe educational budget because they recommended that poor
\ncountries seek alternative funding for education.<\/p>\n
\"They have argued that poor countries cannot afford to fully
\nfinance their educational systems,\" she said.<\/p>\n
It was the donor countries' way of keeping poor countries in
\ndebt, she added.<\/p>\n
Yanti and Revrisond urged the government to revoke all
\nregulations that did not support citizens' right to get an
\neducation, as guaranteed by the Constitution.<\/p>\n
The activists also called on people to push for a campaign
\nagainst foreign debt, so that repayments can instead be allocated
\nto public services, including education.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp4edu-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}