PDI proposes 25% hike in education budget
JAKARTA (JP): The government-recognized faction of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) said yesterday the state budget for education should rise 25 percent.
In a discussion broadcasted by state television station TVRI, PDI deputy chairman Subagyo Umar said the small budget now earmarked for education had stopped ordinary children going to school.
"Quality education is such a luxury that those people (cannot afford to) free themselves from the shackles of poverty," Subagyo said.
He cited the 1990 United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) annual report which revealed that Indonesia only spent 1 percent of gross domestic product on education.
The government has allocated Rp 4.67 trillion (US$1.9 billion) for educational development, 12 percent of the total development budget, for the 1997/1998 fiscal year.
Subagyo criticized the government for failing to provide schools with sufficient libraries, classrooms, laboratories and sports facilities. He said facilities were particularly lacking in schools outside Java.
"Book shortages have become our greatest concern," Subagyo said, quoting statistics which said Indonesia produced less book titles a year than any country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Indonesia only published 3,000 titles a year on average compared to Malaysia's 5,000, Thailand's 7,000, the Philippines' 8,000 and Singapore's 15,000.
"Books have cost Indonesians dearly. That's why the government should cut the paper price for school books through subsidies, and exempt foreign books from import taxes," Subagyo said.
He warned of the soaring number of educated unemployed in a national education system that emphasized diplomas and certificates over skills.
Without immediate improvements in the education system and pay rises for teachers, Indonesia would not have sufficient human resources to meet the 21st century's challenges, Subagyo said.
"Our current education system does not encourage the development of quality, self-reliant and laborious human resources.
"This will in turn leave us heavily dependent on overseas technology in the cultivation of our natural resources," Subagyo said.
Feudalism
At a PDI rally in Langsa, Aceh, party chairman Soerjadi called for a nationwide movement to abolish the bureaucracy's "feudalistic practices".
"Feudalism has generated national leaders who rose to the top without enough testing, (they relied on) their parents' positions and big names as well as overwhelmingly corrupt and shameless officials," Soerjadi said.
He warned that Indonesians would face a catastrophe if they did not fix the bureaucracy.
Becak (pedicab) drivers dominated the crowd at the PDI rally in the country's westernmost province. They paraded in the streets of Langsa on their way to the rally.
Soerjadi told his audience that the Busang gold mine hoax was among the latest evidence which proved the absence of shame among top officials.
"Social control is so lax that it encourages the officials to readily abuse their power for their interests. In other countries, an official at fault would resign or even commit suicide," Soerjadi said.
At a PDI rally in Pekanbaru, Riau, party deputy chairman Panangian Siregar spoke to thousands of supporters.
In Metro, Lampung, PDI vice secretary Ratih Ratna Purnami fired up thousands of supporters at a rally in Yosodadi field, while the party's deputy chairman Budi Hardjono delivered his speech before hundreds of supporters at an indoor rally in West Lampung. (amd)