Councillors say no to project

Councillors say no to project

YOGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta councillors have urged the provincial
administration to refuse the central government's offer to make
the city a pilot project for an education services liberalization
program, saying the project would lead to higher education fees.

The call was made during a hearing with the provincial
education office and the provincial development planning agency
on Tuesday.

Six countries -- the United States, Australia, China, South
Korea, Japan and New Zealand -- have proposed opening up
education services here, based on a World Trade Organization
agreement signed by Indonesia in 1994.

The chairman of Commission E overseeing education, Slamet
Saiful Muslimin, said liberalizing services could increase the
cost of education in the province, particularly at the university
level. If that were to happen, it would prevent students from
poor families from receiving a higher education, he said.

The councillors urged the administration to study the matter
before making a decision. -- JP