Ministry denies endorsing uniform shoes project<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Education and Culture denied
\nyesterday reports that it endorsed a project that would have a
\nshoe manufacturer monopolize sales of shoes for 26.5 million
\nelementary school students.<\/p>\n
Director for Students Supervision at the Ministry of Education
\nand Culture, Nasihin, was quoted by Antara as saying that the
\nministry never issued approval to PT Aryo Nusa Pakarti to arrange
\nsales directly with schools or teachers.<\/p>\n
\"We've never ordered students to wear shoes of a certain shoe
\nmanufacturer,\" Nasichin said.<\/p>\n
The company claimed it had the approval of the ministry.<\/p>\n
\"The Ministry of Education and Culture responded positively to
\nour proposal (for school children to wear black, uniform shoes),\"
\noperations manager Supriyono said last Wednesday. \"It had no
\nobjection to our offer (of selling) our shoes to students.\"<\/p>\n
Nasichin, however, said the so-called \"approval\" the company
\nshowed schools was actually director-general of elementary and
\nhigh schools Z.A. Achmady's letter welcoming the company's
\nproposal for the project.<\/p>\n
\"We have no argument with your proposal as long as it is not
\nan obligation for students (to buy the shoes) and will not place
\na burden on parents,\" Achmady said in the letter dated Aug. 4,
\n1996.<\/p>\n
The so-called uniform shoes project has drawn protest from
\nparents who said they still felt they had to buy the shoes as the
\ndeal was arranged through schools.<\/p>\n
More opposition came yesterday from an Islamic
\nsocioeducational organization, Muhammadiyah, which has some 28
\nmillion supporters across the country. Chairman M. Amien Rais
\ncalled on the government to drop the project altogether.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after addressing a discussion at
\nMuhammadiyah University in Jakarta, Amien said Muhammadiyah,
\nwhich operates thousands of schools, would be directly affected
\nby the project.<\/p>\n
\"We organize thousands of elementary schools, one third of the
\nstudents come from poor families and go to school barefooted,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta-based company has reportedly been working on an
\nambitious project to put shoes, bearing the logo OSIS,
\non the feet of many elementary school students across the
\ncountry. The shoes' logo stands for Interscholastic Students
\nOrganization.<\/p>\n
According to press reports, the company has been selling its
\nshoes directly to schools in the East and West Java provinces. A
\npair of shoes costs Rp 21,000 (US$7.90). (imn)<\/p>",
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