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