Official floats idea of free school

TANGERANG: Head of the Tangerang education office Harry Mulya Zain said on Saturday that the office planned to subsidize tuition for elementary and secondary schools in 2005 as part of its efforts to improve the quality of human resources.

"We will submit the proposal to the municipal administration shortly. If it is approved, students will receive free education -- this is what the community wants from us," he told The Jakarta Post.

In the meantime, he added, the administration had allocated Rp 183 billion (US$21.5 million), or 46 percent of its 2004 budget, for education. Of this amount, Rp 129 billion is earmarked for academic scholarships and a rise in the monthly salaries of 13,000 teachers and school keepers, while the remaining Rp 54 billion will be used to improve educational facilities and to renovate damaged schools.

Starting January, 40 students will be selected from each elementary and secondary school -- both private and state-run schools -- for the scholarship program.

"Each student will get a Smartcard, which they must show when they collect money from their respective schools," Harry said.

Elementary school students will receive a scholarship of Rp 15,000 every month, middle school students Rp 20,000, while high school students will receive Rp 40,000 each. -- JP