Boarding schools to help street kids

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Social Services is to cooperate with 45 pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in all 27 provinces to help care for and educate 45,000 street children across the country, Antara reported on Tuesday.

Minister of Social Services Justika S. Baharsyah said the cooperation will not only help the government's program of compulsory education, but also provide better protection for homeless children.

The boarding schools will provide schooling and training with funding from the ministry and donations, she said. Other programs that she said were being organized for street children were halfway houses and mobile libraries.

The minister was speaking at the closing of a religious instruction session at the Al Washilah boarding school.

School Master A. Dasuki Adnan said the pesantren has been taking care of 1050 street children from Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java and cities in Sumatra.

The children sleep, eat and study in the complex. (swe)