Rp 54b to be used to restore schools

BEKASI: The City Council urged on Monday that the Rp 54 billion (US$6.3 million) fund allocated in the 2003 city budget for schools should be used to repair decrepit schools.

"The fund should be used to restore those schools that are at a point of collapse," chairman of Council Commission E for education and social welfare Saaduddin said. He did not name those schools in dire need of repair.

He said many state-run elementary, junior- and senior high schools were ready to collapse and needed a complete overhaul.

Data from the Bekasi Education Agency for this year shows that 76,233 children have not had basic education and 277,900 children had dropped out from elementary school. Bekasi has a population of 1.7 million.

The data, however, did not provide the same information for last year. -- Antara