Al-Azhar school finally inaugurated

BOGOR (JP): Mayor Iswara Natanegara, who earlier planned to demolish the new Al-Azhar school, inaugurated the Islamic-based school here on Thursday.

In his speech, he said he hoped that the Al-Azhar Plus school would become one of the quality education institutes in town.

"A quality education can be achieved based on at least two important things, namely having skilled teachers and a flexible curriculum," Iswara said.

He said a school with such standards would produce students with high capabilities.

Iswara earlier issued a decree for the demolition of the newly completed Al-Azhar school, which has already cost Rp 2 billion.

The decree dated July 6 this year was issued because the school failed to obtain necessary building permits.

The mayoralty said warning letters sent to the privately run school from September last year had not elicited a response. The school, run by the Mandala foundation, denied receiving any letters.

The two-story building, on a 8,000 square-meter-plot on Jl. Sindang Barang in West Bogor, will accommodate junior high, senior high, economics high and technical high school students.

Commenting on the administration's change of heart, mayoralty spokesman Anas S. Rasmana said: "It's different now, because the school possesses legal documents for the site plan and a building construction permit, issued on Wednesday.".(24/bsr)