Cultural congress kicks off

Cultural congress kicks off

BUKITTINGGI, West Sumatra: Around 10,000 people in
Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, welcomed on Sunday the arrival of
participants to the fifth national cultural congress, due to
start on Monday.

The four-day congress will feature 180 speakers from across
the country to discuss various cultural issues in their
respective regions.

The minister of culture and tourism will officially open the
congress on Monday.

On Sunday, the organizers held an arts festival with
participants wearing traditional attire from their respective
locations in Indonesia. --Antara

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Three killed in traffic accident
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Three killed in traffic accident

SURAKARTA, Central Java: Three people were killed and three
others injured on Sunday when a Gaya Putra bus rammed into three
motorcycles at Sukoharjo, near Surakarta, Central Java.

The three killed were identified as Maksum Hanafi, his wife
Evi Noviyanti and Hadi Sukarto, while the injured were Sularso,
Heri Nivianto and Aniah.

The bus driver and his assistant ran away from the accident,
and police are still searching for them. --JP

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RI hosts ASEAN science Olympics
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RI hosts ASEAN science Olympics

JAKARTA: Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fajar
opened on Saturday the ASEAN mathematics and science Olympics for
primary schools, with a call for cooperation among member
countries in improving the quality of education.

"The event is aimed at seeking a quality standard of basic
education, specifically in languages, mathematics and science,"
Malik said.

He said he expected the scientific event would support student
exchange programs among ASEAN countries.

Chairman of the event's organizing committee Indra Jati Sidi
said some 60 fifth-year and sixth-year students from nine ASEAN
countries were participating in the Olympics, the first of its
kind.

The students come from Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
The other ASEAN member country, Singapore, is not represented.

During the event, which will run until Oct. 23, participants
will be vying for three gold medals, five silvers and eight
bronzes. -- Antara

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Govt to reveal exams' materials
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Govt to reveal exams' materials

JAKARTA: In a bid to help more students pass final exams, the Ministry of
National Education will let the students know beforehand all of
the material that will appear on next year's tests, an
unprecedented effort deemed counterproductive by at least one
observer.

"We will explain the material directly to the students in
December. In the past, we just told the schools," the ministry's
director general for basic and secondary education, Indra Jati
Sidi, said on Saturday

He said the policy would give students a better chance of
achieving good results on their final exams, so more students
would graduate next year than in previous years.

He also said there would be some changes to the format of the
exams next year.

"In the past, the grade for theory and application were
combined. Next year they will be separated," he was quoted by
Antara as saying.

Education observer Darmaningtyas lashed out at the plan to
tell students what material would be on the finals, saying it
would reduce the quality of graduates.

"Announcing the material is unnecessary if the students are
diligent and eager to learn their lessons," Darmaningtyas said,
adding that knowing the materials beforehand would not encourage
the students to learn other subjects. -JP

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E. Timorese citizens demand asylum
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E. Timorese citizens demand asylum

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Twenty-six East Timorese citizens have
requested political asylum from the Indonesian government
due to fear of intimidation back home, an Indonesian official has said.

However, the Indonesian government initially turned down the
request on the grounds that the 26 East Timorese previously
refused to become Indonesian citizens, said Col. Moeswarno
Moesanip, the chief of Wirasakti Military Resort overseeing East
Timor Province (NTT).

"The 26 East Timorese took refuge in Indonesia after the 1999
East Timor mayhem, and they were given a chance to obtain
Indonesian citizenship.

"However, instead of doing that, they returned later on to
their hometown and became citizens of East Timor," Moeswarno told
The Jakarta Post. -JP