Schools close due to lack of pupils

SEMARANG, Central Java: At least 104 public and private elementary schools in Central Java closed down during the 1997/1998 school year due to a lack of new students.

The schools were forced to stop operating after the number of new enrollments declined over the years, the head of the provincial education office, Agus Sutadi, said here yesterday.

Agus attributed the drop-off in enrollments to the success of the province's family planning program.

He pointed out that schools in established neighborhoods tended to experience a shortage of new students compared to schools in new residential areas where younger families lived.

More elementary schools are expected to close this coming academic year, he said, adding that the number could only be determined after he received more detailed reports from district officials.