Govt acknowledges inability to provide education for all
Govt acknowledges inability to provide education for all
JAKARTA (JP): The government has admitted it has been unable
to provide education for all as stipulated by the Constitution,
especially now with the worsening economy.
Soedijarto, director general for nonformal education at the
Ministry of Education and Culture, said Friday the government did
not have enough funds to ensure that all school-age children
attend school, provide necessary facilities or pay teachers
proper wages.
The ministry held a media briefing on Friday and explained
that the 33rd anniversary of International Illiteracy Day, which
officially falls on Sept. 8, will be celebrated in Indonesia on
Sept. 12 in order to adjust to President B.J. Habibie's schedule.
Soedijarto pointed out how the government's compulsory nine-
year education program had yet to encompass all school-age
children, given how millions of them now have to work to help
their parents earn a living.
"The prolonged economic crisis has worsened the situation:
More and more kids cannot go to school and have to work to help
their families and at least 18 percent of students from all
education levels have dropped out of school," he said.
He expressed concern that the high number of children out of
school would adversely affect the country's welfare in the
future.
"Indonesia can no longer depend on its natural resources. Its
future will depend on its human resources," he said.
Soedijarto suggested better cooperation between the
government, the private sector, foreign countries and
international agencies to help ward off the impacts of the
economic crisis on education. He also suggested joining forces to
fight illiteracy.
For example, "the private sector should ... provide
scholarships for poor students and introduce a free special
education program for poor families in rural and remote areas
across the country," he said.
The government recently launched special programs for students
who also have to work. Some 100,000 children are participating,
he said, adding that other programs in cooperation with the
International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Bank had
been set up for child workers.
He said ILO recently provided US$300,000 for a special
education program for child workers, while the World Bank
provided $21.5 million to develop the early child development
program in West Java, Bali and South Sulawesi.
The latter program consists of integrated health service
centers for babies, and play groups and kindergartens for
children under five.
"Along with the nationwide 'love reading campaign', these
education programs are aimed at alleviating illiteracy," he said.
He said that 1.16 million, or 4 percent, of 29 million school-
age children were illiterate because they could not go to school
for economic reasons, while an average of 1.2 million school-age
children dropped out annually for the same reason. (rms)