281 students get Rp 39m in scholarship assistance

281 students get Rp 39m in scholarship assistance

JAKARTA (JP): More than Rp 39 million (US$16,624) in
scholarship assistance was given to 281 students by the
University of Indonesia's Civil Servant Wives Organization during
a ceremony held yesterday in the university's conference center.

The organization's chairwoman, Umi Tadjudin, wife of the
university rector M.K. Tadjudin, said in her speech that the
scholarships have been granted annually since 1981 to the
children of low-ranking civil servants in the university. The
fund was raised from donations by the university's alumni, she
said.

The 281 scholarship recipients were 132 elementary school
students, 77 junior high school students, and 72 senior high
school students. The elementary school students received Rp
80,000,($34.10) each, the junior high school students Rp 110,000
each ($46.88)and senior high school students Rp 140,000 ($59.67)
each respectively.

Suparto, father of one of the students to receive a
scholarship, told The Jakarta Post that as a driver at the
university he really appreciated this annual program.

"My son has received this scholarship four times since he was
in his second grade. It has really motivated him to keep up his
good work all year," he said.

The university's spokesperson, Tjiptaningsih Hadiwiryo,
separately told reporters that the program was also in line with
the government's foster-parent drive.

The national foster-parent drive was launched by President
Soeharto on May 29 this year. The government also established the
National Foster Parent Drive Committee to generate funds from the
public to send six million more children to school.

In Jakarta alone around 30,000 students of low-income bracket
families need foster parents this year.

Any individual who wishes to become a "foster parent" is
required to donate at least Rp 60,000 a year through the
committee's saving account, No. 31.51.17845 at Bank Rakyat
Indonesia. (26)