Schools to replace wood furniture

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

On the heels of the observance of World Environment Day on Sunday, Governor Sutiyoso is recruiting city schools to the campaign to save forests by reducing the demand for wooden furniture.

Sutiyoso said on Monday his administration would take part in the fight against illegal logging, which is rampant in the country.

To start, his office will gradually replace the wooden furniture at all state schools with long-lasting and environmentally friendly furniture made of fiberglass or metal.

"In the long run, this program will cut expenses. Besides, we will be able to reduce the use of wood," Sutiyoso said while monitoring national exams at several state junior high schools.

Sutiyoso deplored the ever-increasing pressure on the country's forests because of the high demand for timber in the domestic and international markets, which keeps the illegal timber trade thriving.

Non-governmental organizations reported earlier this year that about 2.3 million cubic meters of Indonesian timber was smuggled into China last year, helping make Indonesia the world's second largest exporter of illegal timber after Russia.

Sutiyoso said furniture made of fiberglass or metal would last longer than wooden furniture, which often becomes infested with termites.

Fiberglass and metal furniture can also better withstand the weather than wooden furniture, he said.

The governor added that his administration was implementing a pilot program at state junior high school SMP 105 in Kembangan, West Jakarta.

"We will ask for input from students, teachers and parents about the use of fiberglass or metal furniture in the classroom. If it is a success, we will require all schools to phase out wooden furniture," Sutiyoso said.

However, Sutiyoso said his administration would not press the program if the students had substantial complaints about the new furniture during the trial.

Reacting to the plan, councillor Dani Anwar called on the administration to prioritize providing a quality education for students, rather than putting all of its attention on school furniture.

"There are lots of problems that are more urgent for the administration to address, like how to help poor students get access to affordable education and how to promote quality education," Dani told The Jakarta Post.

Dani emphasized that the administration should consult with the council over the priority educational programs to be implemented this year.

Starting on Monday, at least 127,849 students at 1,322 junior high schools and Islamic junior high schools across the capital will be sitting the three-day final exams.

City Elementary Education Agency head Sylviana Murni said the exams were free of charge, with all of the expenses being covered by the administration and the central government.

She added that the public could lodge any complaints they had with the exams at the agency's mailbox, P.O. Box 0808.