Crisis a blow to Lampung students
Crisis a blow to Lampung students
BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung (JP): A lot of elementary and high
school students in this southern Sumatra province will soon have
to drop out of school because of critical economic situations
faced by their parents.
A recent survey held by a team from the National Development
Planning Board and the Asia Development Bank at 70 elementary,
junior and senior high schools -- both public and private -- in
rural areas found that between 3 percent and 4 percent of
students would have to stop going to school because their
parents, who have been hit hard by the economic crisis, can no
longer afford to finance their studies.
The head of the Ministry of Education and Culture's provincial
office, H. Enggus Subarman, who disclosed the survey's results,
told Antara news agency recently that each of the 70 schools have
approximately 300 students.
He said final-year students in particular are in great
financial trouble because the approaching final examinations will
cost them more. Elementary school examinations will take place at
the end of this month, while those for high school are only a
week away.
This means, he said, that their parents will have to pay an
examination fee as well as the regular school fee.
Enggus said that to alleviate the students' financial burden,
his office has instructed school principals to find a more
tolerable policy. Hopefully, the policy can help lighten the
students' burden so that they will not have to drop out.
"I have asked principals to see to it that every student takes
part in the final examinations," Enggus said.
He said that a long-tern plan is also needed to help students
of private schools, and those whose parents belong to the low-
income bracket, to be able to go on to senior high school.
This effort will be of greater importance if it is related to
the compulsory nine-year education program, under which each
student should graduate from junior high school (SMP).
"Under the 12-year compulsory education program, which will be
introduced here soon, students will have to graduate from senior
high school (SMU)."
In Lampung, Enggus said, there 130,000 children aged between 7
and 15 who have not enjoyed any formal education because of
impoverished social and economic conditions.
According to Enggus, the province plans to complete
introduction of the nine-year compulsory education program by
2001, from where the 12-year-program will take over. "Whether it
will be a success in this economic condition is still debatable."
He said the regencies of West Lampung and Tulang Bawang have
reported that for some reasons, they will be late in their
participation in the programs.
Bandar Lampung, the province's capital, kicked off its 12-year
compulsory program on May 2, National Education Day.
Head of the city education office, Amami Amila, said that drop
outs are still rife in his area.
He said that in industrial areas along the road between Bandar
Lampung and the port town of Panjang, many elementary school
pupils occasionally drop out to work at factories in order to
help their parents make ends meet.
"The habit usually leads to leaving school for good," he said.
In other areas, which include the capital, many girls feel
ashamed if they have to continue their studies to university, he
said. He did not elaborate.
In Bandar Lampung, according to Amami, it is common to see
school-age children going around selling plastic bags, newspapers
or cigarettes, or even becoming manual workers.
West Lampung regency is facing another problem. Residents of
Way Haru-Pesisir village told Antara recently that there is only
one elementary school, and it only has only one teacher for the
300 students. "Worse still, the teacher works only on an
honorarium basis," they said.
"Sometimes the school is closed for months," they said. (tis)