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)