Tangerang puts focus on education<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus, Tangerang<\/p>\n
Tangerang administration is one of the youngest in the country,
\nand as part of the national campaign to improve the quality of
\neducation and human resources, it has made some very progressive
\nsteps.<\/p>\n
The administration of Mayor Wahidin Halim, who was sworn in
\nlast November, allocated Rp 206 billion (US$22 million), or 37.5
\npercent of its Rp 550 billion budget this year, for education
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
"I am committed to the improvement of human resources in
\nTangerang," the mayor told The Jakarta Post in a recent
\ninterview.<\/p>\n
Although the amended 1945 Constitution stipulates that a
\nminimum of 20 percent of the total budget should be allocated for
\neducation, no local administration, even in the state budget, has
\nmet the required benchmark.<\/p>\n
The child of a school teacher who grew up in Pinang
\nsubdistrict, Pinang district in Tangerang municipality, Wahidin
\nstarted his career as a subdistrict chief in 1978.<\/p>\n
Experience taught him that quality education is the key to
\ngood governance.<\/p>\n
During his first year in office, Wahidin, 49, the younger
\nbrother of Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, made
\nrandom inspections of various school renovation and construction
\nprojects.<\/p>\n
As a result, he blacklisted a dozen contractors, whom he found
\nwere not doing their jobs properly. Also, he launched an
\ninvestigation into his subordinates' involvement in the projects,
\nfearing budget misuse.<\/p>\n
"We want to build a clean system of governance, which can only
\nbe built if all officials follow akhlakul karimah," he said.<\/p>\n
Following Akhlakul karimah, a principle of Islamic teaching,
\nwould require officials to be honest, responsible, disciplined
\nand loyal, with high professional integrity and morality. They
\nwould also need to put the public's needs before their own,
\nWahidin said.<\/p>\n
Administration secretary Harry Mulya Zain -- formerly head of
\nthe municipality's education agency -- said Rp 80 billion of the
\neducation budget had been allocated for the renovation of school
\nbuildings. The remaining Rp 126 billion had been allocated for
\nscholarships, and to improve the welfare of teachers and school
\nadministrative staff, he said. The budget is channeled through
\neducation and public works sectors.<\/p>\n
"We renovated 206 elementary schools last month, while
\nprojects to upgrade 173 other schools are still underway," he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
To increase the monthly salary of teachers, headmasters,
\nsupervisors and caretakers, Rp 13 billion of the budget has been
\nallocated, while Rp 1.5 billion will subsidize the school fees of
\noutstanding students from poor families.<\/p>\n
Subsidiary payments will be in the form of cards for
\noutstanding students that will entitle them to reduced school
\nfees. The cards will be effective in July, and expire after the
\nholder graduates.<\/p>\n
"Recently, scholarships worth Rp 2 billion were awarded to
\nstudents of the 20 junior high schools and 10 high schools in the
\nmunicipality," Harry said.<\/p>\n
Students of a state elementary school in Cipete subdistrict,
\nYosi, 11, and Daniel Arifin, 9, said they had received a Rp
\n300,000 subsidiary payment from the administration via their
\nschool.<\/p>\n
Yosi and Daniel, whose parents work as street sweepers at
\nthe Modern Land Housing estate, said four other students,
\nwhose parents were poor, had also received a payment.<\/p>\n
"We used the money to purchase the batik uniforms that we wear
\nfrom Tuesday until Thursday and the Muslim clothing that we
\nwear every Friday," they said, adding that the rest of the
\nmoney was used to pay off the arrears of eight months' school
\nfees.<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, who teaches religious studies, said he, and
\nother teachers, would receive a bonus every three months.<\/p>\n
"Last month, I received a Rp 345,000 incentive for January,
\nFebruary and March," he told the Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tangerang-puts-focus-on-education-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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