Higher education budget sought
JAKARTA (JP): The City Council urged the city administration on Saturday to increase the allocated budget for the renovation of state elementary schools.
Siti Maryam Achmad, secretary of the City Council's Commission E, which oversees welfare affairs, said the existing budget allocated by the administration is very limited. It is not enough to renovate the 103 schools in need of work.
"The 103 school buildings badly need renovating. The funds allocation by the administration for the 1995/1996 fiscal year, however, reach only Rp 2.8 billion (US$1.27 million) or enough to finance the renovation of only 10 schools," Siti told The Jakarta Post.
She said if the city administration fails to increase the budget, it will take about 10 years to complete the renovation of all the 103 schools.
Siti reiterated that speeding up the renovations is important to promote the learning process in the schools.
"Due to the poor condition of the school buildings, many students are forced to borrow other buildings and study in the afternoon," she said, adding that the students are not comfortable in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Accelerating the renovations, she said, is vital to make the nine-year compulsory education program a success. The government program aims to improve the country's human resources.
The lack of renovating funds was uncovered by officials of the City Education and Teaching Office in a hearing with members of the City Council recently.
The fund shortage forces the office to give priority to the worst school buildings.
The 10 elementary schools to be renovated this year are SDN Pulogebang 01/16, SDN Cipinang Muara 01/102, SDN Batu Ampar 02/03, SDN Batu Ampar 04, SDN Kapuk 01/02, SDN Tanah Sereal 01/02, SDN Cilandak Barat 01, SDN Tanjung Barat 01, SDN Cipulir 09/10 and 03/04.
Siti also urged the city administration to set aside more funds for the routine maintenance of the buildings.
"The routine maintenance is expected to prevent big damage to the schools," she said, acknowledging that the maintenance budget has been raised regularly but is still far from adequate. (yns)