Officials urged to inspect their schools

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro has urged all high-ranking officials of the ministry to conduct on-the-spot observations of educational development in the country.

Wardiman said recently that top officials need to closely observe educational development for several days by visiting schools.

Speaking at a get-together with model teachers and students at his ministry, the minister said that officials of the first, second and third echelons should be aware of the problems which occur in schools.

He said that they should get directly involved in educational programs for at least two hours a day at any given school.

"This way the officials will have first-hand information on education and will not just depend on reports from their subordinates," Wardiman said.

"If the officers are not involved directly in education activities they will only depend on reports from their subordinates, which may not be reliable," he added.

He said that at the institutions the officials can do the jobs of administrative employees or even sit as students.

Citing an example, Wardiman said that the director of basic education of the ministry could observe classes at a primary school or kindergarten and the director of high school education could sit in for a day at some junior or senior high schools. (05)