'The poor, less smart, have to pay more'

Despite the national campaign for a minimum of nine years education, many people find providing education for their children a financial burden. Expensive school fees, the slow and the unclear enrollment process are among the reasons. The Jakarta Post asked some Jakartans how they deal with the matter.

Yulia Wardani, 28, is a lecturer at a nursing school in Salemba, Central Jakarta. She lives in a rented house near her office:

I think many people have started to understand the importance of having a higher level of education. Many people are no longer satisfied with a university degree and pursue post graduate studies or even a doctorate. This may be linked to the fact that many companies prefer to recruit people with higher levels of education in their CV.

But, I observe that people's need for higher education has not led to an improvement in the quality of education. The problem is partly due to the fact that many lecturers and teachers are not compensated adequately.

In the Philippines, for example, to be a lecturer or a teachers is considered to be a prestigious profession. People compete to become lecturers or teachers. No wonder they have quality education.

Risma, 34, is a food vendor outside Kalibata mall in South Jakarta. She lives with her family in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta:

My husband and I have agreed to put our children's education on the top of our priority list, in the hope that they can enjoy a better life than ours.

However, things are not going as well as expected. My daughter is now in fourth grade. She likes school, but is not smart enough to get free books or scholarships.

I think it's a bit unfair to give all those facilities to smart students, who I believe come from middle to high income families. We, the poor, cannot feed our children well so they cannot grow and develop like the children of the rich. And because they are not as smart, we have to pay more for additional lessons.

--The Jakarta Post