Important but financially impossible for most

Important but financially impossible for most

Leo Wahyudi S, Contributor, Jakarta

Despite the controversy over the weakness of education for the
very young, some parents still consider it vital.

Nini, mother of four-year old Veraldi, said her only son
deserved the best education she could offer him.

Having recently moved from Singapore, she enrolled her son in
preschool early this year. Veraldi attends the Doctorabbit
preschool in South Jakarta three times a week to learn how to
interact with his schoolmates.

"Early education is very costly, but it is not the money
that's important," Nini said, adding that the tuition at the
preschool was relatively low compared to other schools. She paid
Rp 1 million to enroll her son and pays Rp 500,000 monthly for
tuition. Some play groups can charge up to Rp 15 million for
enrollment, she said.

The outdoor activities at Indonesian play groups are much
better than at Singaporean preschools, Nini said. She said that
in Singapore similar activities were mostly staged in shopping
malls or indoor playgrounds, but Singaporean play groups had a
better curriculum and methods.

Unlike in other countries, preschools in Indonesia are
considered a luxury, with many people considering them schools
only for the rich. Not everyone can afford to send their toddlers
to preschool.

Noted psychologist and social observer Tika Bisono
acknowledged that preschooling was important but costly, and said
that institutions involved in providing early education should
not be allowed to operate purely as business entities that focus
mainly on turning a profit.

"Investors in (early) education should not necessarily burden
parents with all the costs," Tika said, saying preschools could
find patrons for funding.

Tika also appreciated the development of local preschools. She
said that the quality of learning, equipment and toys used by
preschools met most standards.

The ratio between teachers and students was ideal, with the
average school having one teacher to every five children. She
also said that many preschools involved the parents in
educational programs.

For example, many preschools invite parents, as well as
nannies, to take part in workshops to help the toddlers adjust to
school life.

At some preschools, a pediatrician regularly monitors and
examines the children. "This is part of the improvements at
preschools today," Tika said.

She said the Ministry of National Education should measure
early education more comprehensively. In her opinion, the
government only facilitates early education improvement upon
request and case by case.

"The government should be open to not only education
consultants, but more important to the users," Tika said. She
stressed that the education ministry was in dire need of real
input from users since it was the ministry who implements
regulations and government policies, applies the curriculum and
school tuition schemes.

According to ministry data, in 2000 there were 26 million
children aged six years and younger. Of the total, only 2.6
million between four and six years old went to preschool and
kindergarten. Nearly 99 percent of them went to private schools.

Ministry of National Education's Director General for Informal
Education and Youth Affairs Fasli Jalal acknowledges that
preschools are still dominated by the children of the elite in
major cities.

Fasli also admitted that his office did not oversee preschool
activities.

"We let the elite institutions operate as they wish," Fasli
said. Were a preschool to be reported for inappropriateness, the
government would summon its management to discuss the matter with
experts, he added.

Preschools using international education programs should be
encouraged, he said. "Reliable education programs provided by
such schools could inspire local schools," he said.

He said that the ministry was promoting preschool activities
in rural areas through an education program for the young called
PAD.

Pilot projects were introduced in 1999 to follow up the
signing of an international agreement in Senegal in 2000 on the
need for education for all. Now there are 12 regencies running
projects.

The government has provided Rp 25 billion fund for projects
since early 2002. Most of the funds have been used to pay for the
construction of preschools in poor communities in the 12
regencies.

"This program is important to avoid educational discrepancy
between the villages and cities," Fasli stressed.