Child victims may return to school

Child victims may return to school

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Thousands of children from poor families will
be able to go to school this year under a government scholarship
program, a local government official said Saturday.

Aceh education office head Syahbuddin A.R. said the government
would provide education funds of Rp 700 billion for the province
in 2003.

"It depends on the revenue sharing between central and
provincial administrations from oil and gas. The funds will be
distributed through scholarship programs to school committees in
every regency," he said.

About 28,000 Achenese children are estimated to have dropped
out of school. Most are from poor, rural families.

Syahbuddin said his office would also rebuild schools
destroyed in the province's 26-year civil war. --Antara