Poor children face dropout from school

Poor children face dropout from school

JAKARTA (JP): It is feared over 14,000 children from poor
families in Central Jakarta may soon drop out of school as their
parents can no longer afford to pay the fees, an official said on
Monday.

Head of the national education ministry's central Jakarta
office Giat Suwarno said at a discussion with some 350 teachers
in the mayoralty that the children -- from elementary to senior
high school -- are currently depending on scholarships provided
under the social safety net scheme.

"Based on a survey conducted recently, we found a total of
198,762 students coming from poor families (in the mayoralty). Of
that number, 14,462 students are liable to drop out since their
parents are very poor," Giat said in a statement made available
to The Jakarta Post.

He urged the city administration not to stop or cut the
budget allocated for education under the social safety net
program, locally known as the JPS.

"If the administration aborts the JPS for education package in
the city, those students will drop out from their schools," Giat
said.

He said some of the students surveyed were already enjoying
JPS scholarships. Monthly scholarships amounts are set at Rp
10,000 each for elementary school students, Rp 20,000 for junior
high school students and Rp 25,000 for senior high school
students.

Giat asked the authorities to look at the possibility of
slightly increasing the sum since students have to pay for
transportation. Child fares on city buses have just been doubled
to Rp 200.

"They get free schooling, but the poor parents still have to
work hard for their children's transport to school," he said.

In response to the request, Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur
Abdullah, who also attended the meeting, promised to convey the
demands to Governor Sutiyoso soon.

During the discussion, teachers also took the opportunity to
question law enforcers present, including head of the Central
Jakarta Prosecutor's Office Andhi Nirwanto, about what action
police officers were taking against drug dealers in the area.

Endang, a teacher at St. Theresa High School in Menteng, said
drug dealers could be seen hanging around Jl. Agus Salim who
usually offered drugs to her students.

"Should my students refuse the offer, they steal the shoes of
the students," she said. (bsr)