Juwono promises to review proposed overseas study ban

Juwono promises to review proposed overseas study ban

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education Juwono Sudarsono has
promised to study whether President B.J. Habibie's proposal to
ban elementary school children from studying abroad would
infringe on human rights.

"We will determine the right school age for the ban and see
whether this will constitute a violation of human rights," Juwono
was quoted by Antara as saying on Tuesday during the presentation
of US$7 million worth of powdered milk to Indonesian
schoolchildren by the United States government.

Juwono said results would be announced in one to two weeks.

"We will discuss the idea with education experts."

Habibie last week raised the issue of eroded nationalism among
the country's youth and proposed that the very young should be
barred from studying abroad. His idea quickly invited pros and
cons.

Juwono said there was truth in the belief that Indonesian
children educated abroad might not develop a full sense of
nationalism. He also acknowledged that studying abroad provided
an opportunity for students to compare their homeland with other
countries, which would bolster young Indonesians' nationalistic
pride.

He noted that many parents enrolled their children in overseas
schools because of the "comfortable environment" in other
countries, not concerns over educational quality at home.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia J. Stapleton Roy said
the milk donation was part of his country's commitment to
strengthen Indonesia's social safety net programs and speed up
the country's economic recovery.

"This milk will help provide nutritional requirements for
children, and represent an investment in Indonesia's future," Roy
said.

The donation, consisting of 6,500 tons to be distributed in
two stages, is part of a total food aid valued at $264 million.

The government will cooperate with the milk processing
company, Bina Putra Sejahtera Foundation, in distributing 5,000
tons in the first stage and 1,500 tons in the second stage.

The U.S. will also provide $75 million worth of wheat, and
$104 million in grants and loans for rice, soybeans, wheat and
other commodities, Roy said.

"We also hope to sign a separate agreement in the near future
for powdered milk worth $2 million to be distributed to (poor)
families in Jakarta."

The milk, he said, would be repacked into 61.1 million
packages to be distributed directly to selected preschools,
elementary schools, Madrasah religious schools and orphanages.

Over the next year, the milk will reach more than half a
million children in more than 1,700 schools and orphanages, he
added. (swe)