Six million get scholarships

JAKARTA: The government will disburse scholarships from its budget of two million to six million school-aged children from poor families, Antara reported.

Coordinating Minister of Public Welfare and Eradication of Poverty Haryono Suyono said children from seven to 15 were encouraged to enroll at elementary and junior high schools.

The minister said schools and "education committees" should continuously strive to keep children in school.

The social safety net fund of Rp 1.5 trillion for education has been used to support operational costs for around 300,000 elementary and junior high schools, Haryono said. In the 1998/1999 fiscal year, the government gave out Rp 3 trillion in scholarships.