JGW opposes city-funded councillors' studies

JAKARTA (JP): While supporting councillors pursuit of higher education, non-governmental organization Jakarta Governance Watch (JGW) strongly opposes the use of the city budget to finance their education.

JGW, in its written statement received on Sunday, questioned whether councillors were unable to pay their own tuition.

"Do they really need to be given scholarships which come from the people's money? Many councillors are wealthy," it said.

Eighty city councillors are reported to be currently pursuing undergraduate degrees in political science and master degrees in management, with fees being paid from the city budget.

The chairman of the council's Commission C for budgetary and financial affairs, Amarullah Asbah confirmed the report, saying that the city administration had allocated money for the education of its employees.

JGW considered the provision of scholarships inappropriate, as many Jakarta residents are still living in poverty and cannot afford to send their children to school.

The NGO cited data that showed some 16,000 children have not completed elementary school, not to mention some 2,500 street children who have never gone to school.

JGW also questioned why the lectures were held in the council building and the mechanism to monitor the studies.

JGW asked the council speaker to reconsider the education program and suggested that councillors should at least have an undergraduate degree before becoming councillors.(hdn)