Official floats idea of free school

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