Papua plans free education

R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

All students attending kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school and high school in Irian Jaya will be able to enjoy free education beginning this year as part of the efforts to improve the human resources of the country's easternmost province.

The provincial administration has earmarked just under Rp 22 billion in this year's budget to cover the tuition fees of students at state and private schools.

The plan is being deliberated by the Irian Jaya provincial legislative council, and is expected to be approved within two weeks. The free-education-for-Papuans plan reportedly has the support of all of the legislators.

"A preliminary meeting between the council and related agencies to discuss the budget for free tuition fees went smoothly," senior legislator Frans Koromat told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the meeting on Friday.

Discussion of the plan will continue on Monday.

Frans said the province's education and teaching office, which would be in charge of implementing the plan, will also provide more than Rp 3.8 billion in assistance for students from low- income families.

The extra funds, also allocated in the 2002 budget, will be channeled through state and private schools, Koromat added.

"The planned free education is aimed for both indigenous Papuans and migrants living in the province," the head of the Irian Jaya education and teaching office, Jry Haurissa, told the Post.

But after 2002 the free education program will only apply to Papuans, while such privileges for migrants will be drawn up in special regional regulations, he said.

"The move is meant to curb a possible influx of people from outside Papua who want to study in the region," Haurissa said.

He said the local government hoped the free education program would encourage students to study harder and more diligently.

The Rp 22 billion for the program is part of the Rp 380 billion allotted by the Irian Jaya administration in the Rp 1.9 trillion budget for the improvement of the province's human resources.

The program is part of the wide-ranging autonomy law being implemented in the troubled, but resource-rich province, whose human resources are seen as poor and backward compared to other regions, especially Java.

The special autonomy law took effect in the country's long- neglected easternmost province, on the western half of New Guinea island, on Jan. 1.

It was granted last year in an effort to appease widespread agitation for independence, after more than three decades of harsh military-enforced rule.

Under the generous law, Papua keeps up to 80 percent of revenue from the exploitation of rich local resources, is allowed to change its name from Irian Jaya to Papua, and can adopt a provincial flag in addition to the national flag.

Meanwhile, apart from maintaining security in the remote town of Wamena in Jayawijaya regency, local military troops have also served as teachers since a bloody riot killed at least 11 people there on Oct. 6, 2000.

The violence, in which pro-independence Papuans attacked migrants, forced hundreds of teachers to abandon the town and flee Irian Jaya.

The deployment of troops to tackle the problem of a lack of teachers in Wamena was approved by the Trikora Military Command, based in the province.