National education committees formed

National education committees formed

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of National Education has set up
two committees to review and revise a number of regulations and
laws concerning the educational arena.

"The Committee for Education Reform will work on the nuts and
bolts issues while the Committee for National Education will work
on the philosophical basis involved as well as the concepts and
strategies to be applied," Minister Yahya Muhaimin said.

The two committees will work on several strategic issues and
prepare drafts of revised regulations, as well as adding more
meat to the bones of such issues as the role of the private
sector in education, campus autonomy, globalization, transparency
and decentralization.

"The National Education Committee is being initiated by the
World Bank and will be participated in by all the stakeholders
while the reform team will consist of young observers of
educational affairs," he said.

"Both teams will also work with the existing National
Education Advisory Board (BPPN) which consists of senior
education experts and has been working for many years," Yahya
added.

Later in the day, Minister Yahya installed Atwi Suparman as
the new Open University (UT) rector replacing Bambang Sutjiatmo
at the University's campus in Pondok Cabe, South Jakarta.

The university has recently been hit by a series of diploma
forgeries in which its awards have been forged by certain
parties.

"There are reports of 24 false diplomas issued by schools
which claimed to be UT branches last year," UT deputy rector
Subagyo said after the ceremony.(edt)