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)