Schools to replace wood furniture
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.