Poor students to get assistance

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

As many as 1,165 students of junior high schools from economically disadvantaged families in the Bogor municipality will receive scholarships from the West Java provincial administration, an official says.

Head of Bogor Municipal Basic Education Agency Ade Syarief said on Friday that each student would receive Rp 1 million (US$104.17), which would be used to finance their education.

"Students receiving the scholarship program will hold school IDs where it will be indicated that they are receivers of the facility," said Ade.

The funds, however, will not be given to the students, but to the schools where they study.

Ade said that the scholarship finds would be taken from West Java's 2005 budget. He did not mention when the funds would be disbursed.

The new school year begins in mid July.

"The facility will be used to pay fees, buy school uniforms, scout uniforms, sports uniforms, books and writing tools," the official added.

According to Ade, the program is aimed at helping students from poor families to continue their education at least to complete junior high school, which is in line with the country's nine-year compulsory education policy.

Ade said while the provincial administration had a scholarship program for junior high students, the municipal administration would give scholarships to elementary school students from poor families next school year.

He said each elementary student would received Rp 750,000 per year. He did not mention how many students would receive the scholarship.

Meanwhile, Sri Endras Iswarini of the Alternative Education Circle for Women (Kapal Perempuan), said that such a scholarship program for disadvantaged would not be long term in nature.

She demanded that the government provide free education for children of low-income families.

If the government was able to prevent banks from collapsing by using the state budget, it should also provide free education for students from all disadvantaged families by using the state budget, Sri argued.

"We hope both the central government and the regional administration will be able to put aside 20 percent of their respective annual budgets for education as stipulated in our Constitution," she added.