Affordable education demanded by children

Leony Aurora , Jakarta

Children worry about many things, but how their parents will be able to pay for their education seems to be at the top of the list.

This issue was raised on Friday during a dialog held in observance of National Children's Day by children from four villages in Bogor and two villages in the vicinity of the Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi.

During a dialog titled Children's Participation in Fighting for Children's Rights at the Usmar Ismail Film Center in Kuningan, South Jakarta, Neneng, from Gudang village in Bogor, said her parents were unable to pay her school fees.

The girl was forced to drop out of school in 2002 after finishing elementary school. "My father is just a construction worker," she said.

A girl from Ciketing Udik village in Bekasi said many children in the area did not attend school because their parents could not afford the fees.

Education observer Darmaningtyas, who attended the dialog, said the government should set aside money to make sure that children of poor families could stay in school.

Government-subsidized state schools, he said, only accepted students who passed tests and had good grades -- basically those students who are able to study.

"Poor students have to attend second-class private schools because they are the only ones that accept children with barely enough money and insufficient grades," Darmaningtyas said.

Among the dozens of children at the dialog, only one attends a state school.

Organized by non-governmental organization Kelopak Indonesia Children's Right Watch, the event on Friday was aimed at allowing children to voice their opinions about current issues, particularly those that affect them directly.

Kelopak executive director Robert Triyana pointed to the case of SMP 56 state junior high school in Melawai, South Jakarta, as a classic example of failing to involve children in the decisions that affect their lives.

"The students were never asked about what they wanted," said Triyana. "Children should be treated as subjects, not just objects."

One of the children at the dialog, Tia, is a student at SMP 56 and she urged the administration to allow the students at the school to receive their report cards. "We have a right for grades ... but the more we speak, the more we are ignored."

The ongoing legal dispute over the status of the school in Melawai turned ugly when the city administration announced it would not recognize those students who refused to transfer to another school.

No government officials attended the dialog on Friday. A representative of the Office of the State Minister for Women's Empowerment had been confirmed to attend but failed to show.

The dialog was followed by art performances by the children, who have all attended workshops held by Kelopak in their villages. Cardboard puppets, letters and pictures created by the children were also displayed around the venue.

The event ended with a small rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.