Students seek increase in education budget
Students seek increase in education budget
JAKARTA (JP): About 60 students from the University of Indonesia visited the House of Representatives yesterday demanding an increase in the national education budget.
The students also called on the House to ensure transparency in the calculation of the education component of the budget.
Received by members of both the Indonesian Democratic Party and Golkar factions in the House, the students said that Indonesia's small budget allocation for education had caused sharp increases in university fees each year.
One of the protesters told The Jakarta Post that in 1991 students paid Rp 210,000 (US$92) per semester, while in 1994 the fee was Rp 400,000 and, in 1995, Rp 475,000.
"For new students, that amount does not include additional money for, among other things, jackets and other academic expenses," the student said.
The protesters, all wearing yellow jackets, also asked for improvements in the quality of educational facilities. They asked for an increase in the salaries of teaching staff in all educational institutions.
Led by Donny Ardyanto, the students urged the government to stop collusion, manipulation and corruption in the educational sector and to stop spending money on unimportant things.
The students did not succeed in their goal of meeting with the House's Commissions IV and IX, responsible for budget supervision and education respectively.
After the students had waited for more than two hours, Sukowaluyo Mintorahardjo, Sabam Sirait, S.G.B. Tampubolon, Nana Mulyana Sukanta and Popo Sonadar Haroen of the Indonesian Democratic Party received the students.
Sukowaluyo said the students' demands mirrored exactly his party's frequent calls for the education budget to be increased. At present, education spending accounts for only 4.9 percent of the State Budget.
"In 1966, the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly planned to allocate 25 percent of the budget for education," he said. "Unfortunately, until today the government has not been able to provide that much."
Sabam Sirait said that in 1969 Slamet Imam Santoso, a professor of economics, argued that if the education budget were not increased to 25 percent of the national budget, Indonesians would have be left behind by other countries.
The students were later received by Palar Batubara, Sih Waloeyo, Moh. Hatta Mustafa and S.M. Taufiq Thaib of the ruling Golkar faction.
Campus activist Hertiyoso told The Post that yesterday's protest was the second such demonstration by the students in support of improvements to the Indonesian education system. He said the first such demonstration had been held at the University of Indonesia campus two months ago. (05/09/10)