ILO launches special program

ILO launches special program

JAKARTA: The International Labor Organization (ILO) and the
provincial administration of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam have
developed a program to help Acehnese students who failed the
national exam prepare for the makeup test.

The ILO said in a press release here over the weekend that the
program would prioritize schools with high failure rates in Banda
Aceh and the regencies of Aceh Besar and Aceh Jaya, the three
regions worst hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

More than 24,300 junior high school and high school students
in the province failed the recent national exam. Devastated
school buildings and a lack of educational facilities and
teachers have been blamed for the high failure rate.

As part of the program, the ILO and the provincial education
office in Banda Aceh, in collaboration with Primagama course
provider, will provide a week-long training course for 150 math,
English and Indonesian teachers to help them develop similar
study programs for students at their own schools.

The program hopes to help about 1,000 students pass the second
round of the national examination.

ILO representative in Jakarta Alan Boulton said the initiative
was crucial to help students in Aceh pass the national exam and
continue their educations. --JP