1m children don't attend school

1m children don't attend school

SEMARANG, Central Java: Almost one million children aged
between 13 and 15 years, throughout the province, do not attend
school because of economic reasons, a local official said
yesterday.

Head of the Central Java education office, Koesno, said the
large number of children who do not attend school is a challenge
to the implementation of the nine year compulsory education plan.

An estimated two million children in the province are aged
between 13 and 15, and of those only about one million attend
schools, he said.

"Children do not attend school because they cannot afford the
fees or because their parents need them to make a living," he
said, Antara reported.

The implementation of nine-year compulsory education plan in
Central Java will not only face facility problems but also the
attitude of the people toward education, he said. (pan)