'Teachers won't be pulled from private schools'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro said yesterday that reports that the government intended to withdraw its teachers from private schools were unfounded.

"The reports are groundless," he said.

However, he said that the government does plan to stop assigning its teachers to work in private schools, as of this year, because of a shortage of teachers in public schools.

Speaking to reporters after awarding medals to model officials and traditional puppeteers at his office, Wardiman said that the government is unable to help private schools to overcome shortages of teachers because of its "zero-growth" policy in personnel management.

Nevertheless, the ministry will continue to help private schools in other ways, he added. Citing an example, Wardiman said that US$42 million in aid to be received from the Asian Development Bank will all be distributed to private schools next year. He did not elaborate.

Several newspapers reported on Wednesday that a "certain government agency" had urged the government to withdraw its teachers from private schools on the basis that public schools themselves lack teachers due to the government's tight personnel policy.

According to the reports, which were based on 1993 data, 92,325 government teachers are currently assigned to teach in private schools.

Meanwhile, Bambang Suhendro, the ministry's director general of higher education, said that the ministry planned to recruit 1,500 new staff to overcome a shortage of state university lecturers.

"The zero-growth policy will not be applied in this case," he noted.

Bambang said the ministry will hire 60,000 new university teaching staff during the current Second Long Term Development Plan, which started last year. (05)