Foreign schools no threat, Wardiman says

Foreign schools no threat, Wardiman says

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
Djojonegoro has promised the opening of foreign schools here will
not threaten the livelihood of local schools.

"In fact, the more schools there are, the better, because
there is still a shortage of schools here," Wardiman was quoted
by Antara as saying yesterday after opening a symposium on
distance education in Bali. Some 200 participants from 20
countries attended the symposium.

The government recently announced its plan to introduce some
deregulations in education, including allowing foreign schools to
operate here. A 1990 government regulation on education bans
foreign universities from operating here.

Wardiman said yesterday the government has begun encouraging
foreign schools to open here, with the system and curriculum
applied in their own countries.

He argued the move would attract foreign investors here, as
the schools would guarantee good education for foreign families.

"Besides, Indonesia can introduce its culture through those
foreign schools," Wardiman said.

There are currently 43 international schools in Indonesia,
including the British International School, the Japanese
International School and the newly opened Rama International
School. The number is expected to grow along with the growth in
foreign investment here.

Minister of Administrative Reforms T.B. Silalahi first raised
the government's plan to introduce the deregulation on education
last month, a move applauded by many parties, including the
Australian government which said earlier that it would bolster
cooperation on education between Indonesia and Australia.

Law number 2/1989 on education says education cooperation with
other countries is allowed as long as it does not violate the law
or is against national interest.

The 1990 government directive number 30, however, says that
"foreign parties are not allowed to establish universities or
operate in Indonesia". The directive defines operation as
students enrollment, learning activities, grading, and graduation
ceremonies.

By way of appeasing the concern of local schools, Wardiman
said the government applies several conditions before a foreign
school can operate here, including a minimum number of students
and strong sponsorship to ensure the schools are able to operate
continuously.

"Those schools are not competitors for local schools because
they are opened for foreigners," he said Saturday at the opening
of the Rama International School.

Wardiman said the government would not intervene if "poor"
private universities merged with those with greater financial
resources.

"The government cannot interfere... because the government
does not know in detail the condition of those universities," he
was quoted by Antara as saying.

There are currently 1,228 private universities and 76 state-
run universities in Indonesia. (swe)