Students receive emergency fund

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Around 25 percent of students ranging from elementary to senior high schools here are listed as recipients of state emergency funds under the social safety net program, an official said on Thursday.

Secretary of the program's coordinating board here, Hudi Utami, said the number of poor students who received the state fund had nose dived to 38,000 in 1999/2000 fiscal year from around 150,000 in the previous period.

"The decline apparently reflects the easing economic recession and the successful family planning program, which has been enacted in early 1970s," Hudi said.

The regency was allotted Rp 10.8 billion by the government to finance the education safety net program. (45)