'Teachers won't be pulled from private schools'

'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)