Private sector asked to help provide for gifted children

MAGELANG, Central Java (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro has asked the private sector to help support the educational needs of Indonesia's brightest children.

"We wish to meet this special group's needs but for the moment the government's hands are full with its efforts to expand learning opportunities for everyone through the nine-year compulsory basic education program," he told the press here Saturday.

Statistically, highly gifted children make up about 0.02 percent of the total population of 185 million people. An estimated two percent are classified as gifted and talented, while another six percent are disabled.

"The highly gifted children are this country's future 'computers'," he said. "Their potential should be developed as early as possible."

In the past, the government has asked the private sector to contribute to help provide schooling for children with exceptional educational needs. Wardiman said the government would provide land or school buildings, while private foundations or institutions would provide other facilities.

President Soeharto is scheduled to launch the nine-year program today, which has been in the works for the last five years.

The government has expressed the hope that the program will be completed within the next 10 or 15 years. If all goes as planned, by the year 2004 at least 98 percent of the children between 13 to 15 years of age will have a junior high school education.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the government introduced special education programs for gifted children, despite the public criticism over the 'discriminatory' nature of such programs. In the late 1980s the programs were gradually terminated, but not before the Agency for Research and Development of Technology (BPPT) sent 2,400 of the gifted students to study abroad.

The government launched the six-year program a decade ago and it has been successful in increasing enrollment in elementary schools.

Wardiman said that the government still has to face major problems in the program such as the high drop-out rate, plus the shortages of school buildings, teachers, and facilities. At present the government is only able to provide one book for every ten students.

The minister was in Magelang to open the Haji Widayat Art Museum. During his visit here Wardiman also visited the Taruna Nusantara High School where 736 students have been selected among the brightest children. The minister called the school 'SMA (High school) Plus,' as it has most ideal facilities and is expected to yield highly-qualified graduates.

The school has not only first-class students but also first- class teachers," he said. (swe)