Minister backs community college

Minister backs community college

BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan: The Ministry of Education fully
supports the establishment of a community college by the city
government of Balikpapan and several others in eastern
Kalimantan.

National education minister A. Malik Fadjar said on Monday
that aside from receiving the formal standard education, students
at community colleges would also receive vocational and technical
training based on their interests and talents.

"We must improve the condition of human resources in this
country. Community colleges will open the doors to this aim," he
said.

Meanwhile, mayor of Balikpapan Imdad Hamid said that the
community college program in his city had started in 2001 and
thus far, some 200 students had enrolled, mostly from the lower
economic bracket.

"In accordance with the Balikpapan program, every poor citizen
is entitled to receive free medical care and education, including
the community college program," he said. --Antara