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)