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)