Soeharto tells children not to depend on education alone
Soeharto tells children not to depend on education alone
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto told Indonesia's children
yesterday that their future fortune depended more on their
initiative than their education.
Citing himself, the President said not all children were able
to go to university. But he stressed such people would not lose
out if they could learn directly from society, which he described
as "the best university."
"Look at my own experience. I have never studied at
university, but I learned politics, economics and social culture
from the community university," the President told more than 100
children at a meeting at the State Palace to commemorate National
Education Day.
After secondary school Soeharto went to the Royal Netherlands
Indies Army Academy in Gombong, Central Java in 1940. He was
elected President in 1968 and has been re-elected six times.
In his speech, Soeharto called on the nation to realize the
importance of education for development and pledged the
government's commitment to improve the quality of national
education standards.
National Education Day falls on the birthday of Ki Hajar
Dewantara, who founded the Taman Siswa Education System in the
1920s.
It was celebrated across the country yesterday. All 27
provincial governors led ceremonies and read out Minister of
Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro's written address.
The President said six million of the country's 38 million
school-age children could not attend school because they were too
poor and about 400,000 others dropped out before attaining a
"basic education".
In 1994 the government made a minimum of nine years education
compulsory to encourage all children to go to school. The program
was an extension of the successful six-year compulsory education
scheme.
The government has invested between 12 percent and 18 percent
of its annual budget (more than Rp 150 billion for this fiscal
year) in education over the past four years, 72 percent of which
is spent on primary and secondary education.
The president said yesterday he hoped that the compulsory
education goal could be achieved before the end of the 7th Five-
Year Development Plan in 2004.
In May last year, Soeharto launched the National Foster Parent
drive to help up to 400,000 children who were in desperate need
of financing.
Yesterday's ceremony was also attended by Vice President Try
Sutrisno, Wardiman, Minister of Home Affairs Yogie SM, and
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher.
After the official ceremony, the president held a dialog with
the children. All the youngsters appeared enthusiastic to talk
with him. However only few were given the opportunity to do so.
Eliwardani, an elementary-school pupil from Aceh, wished the
President good health and long life, and told him that she wanted
to be a doctor.
"In prime health, as you are now, you can continue leading us
to develop this country," she told the smiling President.
However, when she praised his government, Soeharto asked him,
"Were you told by your teacher to say this?"
Soeharto also thanked Fitrita, an elementary-school pupil from
Pontianak, West Kalimantan, who promised to pray for his health.
"Thank you for the prayer. It is better to be healthy, as you
can see, than being sick, although I know that many people hope
that I fall sick," he said smilingly.
The event was originally scheduled to be held in Denpasar,
Bali. However it was moved to Jakarta as it clashed with the
election campaign.
From Bandarlampung, Lampung, Antara reported Governor Poedjono
Pranyoto launched the Community's Learning Hour Movement, where
parents are encouraged to switch-off their televisions from 7:30
p.m to 9:30 p.m so their children can study.
In Dili, East Timor, five teachers received Satyalancana
medals of merit for their dedication.
In Ambon, Maluku, Linda Irwin and Emily Pithaen, Australian
students at a local senior high school under an exchange program,
attended the ceremony led by governor Akib Latukonsina. (06)