89,085 students forced to drop out

TANGERANG (JP): The number of elementary school pupils forced to drop out of school in Tangerang regency during the 1998/1999 school year rose to at least 89,085 from 84,753 last year, data from the local office of the family planning bureau has revealed.

The increase in the number of dropouts was caused mainly by an inability on the part of parents to finance their children's studies due to the economic crisis, Unang Kamil, the head of the bureau's Tangerang office said.

Unang said the increase was in line with the rising number of families in the regency who are living below the poverty line, which has risen from 42,000 last year to 54,000 this year.

The data also showed that the number of senior high school students forced to terminate their studies increased from 39,552 last year to 44,658 this year, while dropouts from junior high schools have risen from 27,884 to 28,266.

Meanwhile, Agus Rachmat, the head of Tangerang regency development planning board, said his office had set aside Rp 4 billion (US$363,636) in the 1998/1999 fiscal year to help poor families pay school fees.

"A elementary school pupil from a poor family will get assistance of Rp 120,000 a year, while students from junior and senior high schools will get Rp 240,000 and Rp 300,000 per year respectively," he said. (41/hhr)