Not enough schools to cater thousands

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang

Thousands of students recently graduated from elementary and junior high schools in Tangerang cannot continue their education this year because of limited study places.

Data from the regency education agency shows about 15 percent of 64,000 elementary school graduates, or some 9,600 students, will not be able to continue their study to junior high school as there are no more seats available.

Meanwhile, about 20 percent of 30,000 junior high school graduates, or about 6,000 students, can not attend senior high school.

Last year, a total of 18,000 elementary and junior high school graduates could not continue to the next level because of the same problem.

Education agency curriculum division head Agung Basuki said on Monday the capacity of both private and state schools in the regency was limited but that it was growing each year.

Agung said there were only 49 state junior high schools in the regency that could only accommodate about 15,000 elementary school graduates. The remaining 49,000 students had to register at private junior high schools if they wanted to continue their studies.

"However, from the remaining 49,000 elementary school graduates, only about 40,000 can be accommodated at 70 private junior high schools. This data was revealed in a discussion with private schools," he said.

The remaining 9,000 students were likely to be transferred to open junior high schools, which also have limited capacity.

Agung said that the existing state high schools and state vocational schools in the regency could only accommodate 5,646 from a total of 30,000 students.

Some 24,664 others must register themselves to 70 private high schools and 54 private vocational schools but they can provide seats to only around 19,000 junior high school graduates.

"If this situation continues, many more students will not be able to continue their studies in the regency in the next five to 10 years," Agung said.

Regent Ismet Iskandar recently issued a gubernatorial decree No. 420/2004 on education, limiting class sizes. "The decree stipulates that each (school) classroom must only accommodate 40 students (at maximum) to ensure the quality of students' education," Agung said.

He said administration would establish more open junior and senior high schools in the coming year and build state and private schools to anticipate the problem.