~Edu

~Edu

Improving our education system

It was saddening to read about a suicide attempt by an elementary schoolboy in East Java's provincial city of Surabaya last Saturday.

His reason for wanting to end his life may have seemed insignificant, but the negative impact on our education sector is immense.

Whatever argument we put forward, the boy tried to end his life on account of his parents' inability to pay his school fees for two consecutive months.

A similar case occurred in West Java, when another elementary schoolboy tried to commit suicide because he parents were unable to pay for extra-curricular activities.

These two incidents are just a glimpse of untold disheartening tales related to this country's educational system.

A milestone occurred on Monday for our country's education sector.

The government and the House of Representatives agreed to allocate one-fifth of the total state budget for the education sector.

The agreement indicates that the government and the people's representatives realize how important it is to improve the quality of education in Indonesia.

However, it is such a pity that the fund is only enough for our school children for the next five years.

We realize that insufficient government funds is one of the reasons behind the inferior quality of our education.

However, is the shortage of funds the only reason? Is the system of teaching and learning in our educational system appropriate?

Various systems have been tried out, and curriculums have been altered several times but our education has yet to yield a "ready-to-use" product.

Thus, the government and all related parties should be prudent and bold in seeking the best possible way to strengthen the foundation of our human resources development.

Without that, Indonesia will certainly be left behind by its neighboring countries, such as Malaysia.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta

Lessons of SARS and the bird flu threat

Viruses of this kind should be seen as weapons of mass destruction. And they pose an even greater threat to life than the ones which have so preoccupied the world during the war against terror.

Around the globe, governments reacted speedily and decisively in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. The United Nations passed anti-terror resolutions, governments enacted tough new laws and states suspected of harboring terrorists or developing banned weapons came under the greatest scrutiny. The same sense of urgency has, however, not been evident in the war against infectious disease. Certainly, it existed during SARS and eventually steps were taken to at least ensure a coordinated approach was adopted.

But lessons have clearly not been learned. There is a need to ensure nations understand it is ultimately in their interests -- and those of the rest of the world -- to waste no time in making public even the suspicion that a dangerous virus has struck. And this may require the international community taking steps which go beyond simply trusting national governments to do what is right. -- South China Morning Post, Hong Kong

The bird flu threat

In Taiwan, outbreaks have been reported in some poultry farms in the center and south of the country. This has resulted in the slaughter of around 200,000 chickens. According to test results, however, the outbreaks were not caused by the virulent H5N1 strain of avian flu. But as happened with last year's SARS epidemic, no WHO officials have come here yet to offer assistance in epidemic prevention. Such a repeat is deplorable.

Can other countries really afford for Taiwan to become a loophole in efforts to stop the spread of bird flu?

The WHO, which is responsible for ensuring humanity's health, continues to kowtow to Chinese political pressure and reject Taiwan's participation.

China has repeatedly lied to the world, saying that Beijing can take care of the Taiwanese people's health needs. In reality, however, China has spread diseases to Taiwan -- from the foot-and-mouth epidemic a few years ago to SARS. Those outbreaks showed the world the deficiencies of the Chinese health care system and its bureaucracy.

If Taiwan remains unable to get timely global epidemic information or link itself to the international epidemic- prevention network, then we won't have to think hard to see what price the international community may have to pay for leaving a loophole open in Taiwan. -- Taipei Times, Taiwan

U.S. presidential election

George W. Bush will be hard to beat this fall. But with a rival candidate who unlike other spoiled sons of rich parents fought in Vietnam, was decorated with Three Purple Harts for bravery in the field and who as a prosecutor personally put rapists and bandits away, it will be difficult for Bush to stand out as the only credible tough guy. This bodes well for both the Americans and for the rest of us. The U.S.A. and the world need a better leadership than the present.

-- Expressen, Stockholm, Sweden

On Latin America's absence from the World Economic Forum

Latin America's near-boycott of the annual World Economic Forum, which opened yesterday in Davos, speaks of a new generation of leaders who reflect the continent's distrust of free-market capitalism.

In a way Davos had become so well attended that, like the Sundance film festival, it became a fairground and not much use as the necessary contact stage for poor to meet rich. The strength of the Social Forum (in Mumbai, India) has been to offer a springboard for many who could not find a voice, or afford the expenses, in Davos. The danger seen in the decline of the conference of the rich and the growth of the meeting of the poor is that genuine free-market capitalism may be defeated eventually by the corporativists and protectionists in Davos and Mumbai, who would team up to beat those capitalists who favor real competitive corporations over monopolistic cartels dressed up as free enterprisers.

Although Chicago and IMF are not the flavors of the season here, perhaps a few Latin American officials might give the potential benefits of real free-market capitalism a fresh look, and possibly even get their snow boots ready for next year in Davos. -- Buenos Aires Herald, Buenos Aires, Argentina

On missing weapons of mass destruction

David Kay brought credibility to the task of leading the search for evidence of illegal weapons programs in Iraq. His acknowledged expertise, along with his reputation for candor, earned respect even from many who wondered whether the Bush administration would allow Kay and his team to do their jobs without political interference. Now Kay has stepped down as the CIA's chief weapons inspector after months of tedious work, and he has bolstered his credibility with a detailed and evenhanded review of what he found -- and failed to find -- in Iraq.

At the same time, Kay defended the Bush administration against charges that it purposely fabricated the threat posed by Iraq. Instead, Kay says he thinks the shortcomings of the CIA and other intelligence agencies -- particularly their failure to develop on-the-ground intelligence inside Iraq -- prevented Washington from learning that Saddam Hussein's supposed weapons programs had become a fanciful facade.

Barring a surprising discovery by the small crew of weapons inspectors still in Iraq, the Bush administration should support a thorough and honest review to determine why its prewar claims were so wildly off base. Did the White House undercut our intelligence services, or did our intelligence services mislead the White House? The American people deserve to know what went wrong -- and those who caused that intelligence failure deserve to be held accountable. -- St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Florida

On anti-Semitism in Europe

Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism register a 15 percent support rate in Italy, a high percentage, yet not the highest in the European Union.

On occasion of this Remembrance Day it would be a mistake to think that we are faced with an obscure and apparently unmotivated evil. Anti-Semitism ... is an ancient evil, deeply rooted in medieval Europe.

As Jewish citizens were integrated into European societies, giving an extraordinary contribution to modernity ... Judaism came to be identified with a new civilization that was emerging, and was turned into a negative symbol to be eradicated by those who opposed this.

This history, in a different but still meaningful form, repeats itself today with perceptions of Israel.

Anti-Semitism, an exclusively ultra-right phenomenon until a few decades ago, is now also considerable among the ultra- leftists.

Israel has remained under the eyes of old and new (leftist) militants who renew their politics with anti-global, pacifist ... and anti-American stands.

Israel is the weakest and most exposed link in the West, and this is why it is held as the symbolic scapegoat for all ideological forms of anti-western feelings. -- Il Sole 24 Ore, Milan, Italy

On teen executions

If the death penalty is a faulty and barbaric practice that fails to live up to its stated purpose of deterrence by answering killing with state-sponsored killing, then what does that make it when it is applied to teenagers?

Worse.

The Supreme Court recently agreed to decide within the next year whether people younger than 18 when they committed their crimes can be executed. This is good news. It further puts capital punishment under the microscope for the vengeful response that it is. The court two years ago barred execution of criminals who are mentally retarded. Now it's time they ban it from being used on teenagers in this nation.

Executing minors puts this nation in dubious company when life in prison for their crime is the better option. In recent years, only Iran and the Republic of Congo have executed minors. All other nations have pledged to end the practice, according to Amnesty International.

It's good the court is taking up the case; better if it rules against more killing.

-- The Post-Standard, Syracuse, New York