TV viewers pitch reach out to help school

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A five-minute drive from the Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex in Tangerang, the only low-cost junior high school in the area shares two simple buildings with two private schools in the middle of Lengkong Gudang Timur subdistrict.

The 165 students of SMP Falatehan do not seem to mind the bare walls and dirt floors that make up their classrooms, because they will enjoy a quality education, books and new uniforms free of charge for the next two years.

Pijar, a charity show aired every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on SCTV since 2003, just donated over Rp 300 million (US$30,927) to the school, allowing it to waive all education fees, raise teacher salaries and introduce extracurricular activities.

Students are now able to take part in such extracurricular activities as sewing, journalism, sports and martial arts.

Before the donation, which is being disbursed in monthly installments, students had to pay Rp 35,000 per month to study at the educational complex that houses four schools.

SMP Falatehan, founded in 2000 by a group of teachers led by principal Eko Pranoto, shares two buildings with the Miftahul Ulum Foundation, which runs a kindergarten and an elementary school, and the Lengkong Gudang state elementary school.

"Previously, if a student could not pay tuition we would not press them because it would make them reluctant to go to school," Eko said on Tuesday, adding that most of the students' parents worked as construction workers and motorcycle taxi drivers.

Relying solely on school fees to keep the school running, the 13 teachers used to have to take part-time jobs to make ends meet, including selling clothes and fruit, or working as ticket attendants at the train station.

Their salaries have been raised from Rp 200,000 per month and are now based on how many hours they work.

Representatives of Pijar said they selected SMP Falatehan for the donation because the school allows residents to give their children a compulsory nine-year education, as the only other schools in the area are elementary schools.

"We encourage our viewers to develop a sense of solidarity and to help others, such as by developing education and health care through donations," said Wisnu Hadi, the president director of SCTV, who presented the donation on Tuesday.

Thanks to the donation, Wulan Agustina, 14, now believes she has the opportunity to achieve her dream of becoming a medical doctor and Muslim cleric.

"I hope this donation will make the school better and that I can reach my goals," said Wulan. (004)