'Experience worth more than admission fee'

Jakarta, as one of the oldest cities in the country, was at one stage rich in historical sites and buildings. However, many of these have been lost to development, while others have been abandoned or in a state of disrepair. The Jakarta Post talked to people about what the city administration should do with the heritage sites.

Ervina Hutagalung, 42, is a mother of three. She lives with her family in Bintaro, Tangerang:

I always wonder what the city administration can do to make Jakarta a better place to educate our children. I'm so tired of listening to news about student brawls and juvenile delinquency all over the city.

By protecting historical and heritage sites, and integrating their existence with the rapid development of the capital and the school curriculum, as well as giving students a city tour once in a while, I believe our children will become more interested in learning about, say, architecture, history, anthropology or other subjects.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but it would be worth the effort to create an good environment right here in the metropolis for our children so as to make them interested in learning more about people, to value the legacy of others who have gone before them, all the sort of things that are ignored by most of our children.

Anindhita Maharani, 22, is a journalist with the Detik.com news portal. She lives in Pamulang, Tangerang, with her family:

I visited the National Museum last year. I just wanted to know what was inside the museum. I think the array of stuff on display is quite good. However, many items were poorly maintained.

I was surprised that the entrance ticket cost only Rp 500 (5 US cents) at that time. That is cheap. The educational experience and information we received was worth a lot more. Maybe the ticket price is deliberately set low so that even elementary school students can visit.

But I think the museum management should start considering charging a higher admission price for other visitors so that they can improve the maintenance of the museum.

--The Jakarta Post