City eyes philanthropists' schools

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso said on Thursday that the administration would help build better schools for over a 1,500 poor children who are currently studying at schools established by twin sisters, Rossi and Rian, also known as the Kartini Emergency Schools (SDK).

"I have allowed them (Rossi and Rian) to coordinate with the relevant municipalities, including the Offices of Social Affairs to look for new locations for their schools," Sutiyoso announced to the public at City Hall after meeting with the two philanthropists.

Sutiyoso said the administration would build "modest schools", with better conditions than their current makeshift classrooms.

The Jakarta Elementary Education Agency head Gito Utomo Purnomo said the related city agencies led by the Jakarta Public Welfare Agency head, Rohana Manggala, would first check the validity of the reports made by Rossi and Rian.

"They claim to have five schools across the city. We will first ask them to submit the data on poor children attending those schools," said Gito.

Gito also suggested that the two establish a foundation to manage the schools in order to obtain official status as a special private school from the administration.

Rossi and Rian believe that establishing an official government-recognized foundation for the schools would be counterproductive.

"We don't need any foundation to control the school. Running such a special school for squatters' children who stay under bridges requires special and personal treatment, different from the kind of services provided by (state) institutions, foundations or non-governmental organizations," Rossi said.

Rossi said that poor children who live under bridges, for instance, could only interact with teachers who are familiar with their situation.

"Sending in teachers from outside their community would only spell trouble since they would find it difficult to conform to the way of thinking of those children. Besides, I am afraid that those teachers will ask for salaries for their services," she said, adding that they relied on volunteer teachers with similar philanthropic motives at the schools.

According to Rossi, there are around 1,600 children studying at the six schools, all of which are located in North Jakarta. The schools are situated on Jl. Lodan Raya in Ancol; at Rawa Bebek under the Gedong Panjang toll road; at a site under Pluit III toll road; at a site near the Angke rail line; under Grogol toll road in Jelambar and on Jl. Pulo Asem Raya, Pulomas district.