U.S. grants RI US$157m to improve education

U.S. grants RI US$157m to improve education

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The United States signed on Monday two agreements to provide
US$468 million in development funds to Indonesia over the next
five years, the largest assistance package ever signed by the
two countries.

The agreements were signed in a ceremony attended by U.S.
Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph Boyce and acting coordinating
minister for people's welfare Abdul Malik Fadjar.

In the first agreement, the U.S. will provide $157 million to
improve the quality of basic education in both public and private
schools, while in the second, it will extend $236 million, along
with $75 million in food assistance, for health, nutrition, water
and the environment.

"This $157 million program will target the delivery of quality
education in grades one to nine," said acting mission director of
the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Jon D.
Linborg.

Boyce said the assistance would include all types of schools,
including pesantren and madrasah.

"And it (the program) was formulated not only with the advice
and input of Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious
Affairs as well, but also civic groups such as NU and
Muhammadiyah," he said.

Linborg said by cooperating with local counterparts the grant
was expected to provide the tools and knowledge to deliver
effective school administration, quality teaching and learning
techniques and junior high equivalency programs.

The grant was a realization of an educational initiative
announced by U.S. President George W. Bush when he met President
Megawati Soekarnoputri last year.

"The United States today is deepening its partnership with the
government of Indonesia in committing resources toward Indonesian
priorities in improving quality and availability of basic human
services provided to those most in need," said Linborg.

Malik said the assistance would be focused in the main on some
critical regions, such as Ambon, Aceh and Papua.

"Nearly one in three Indonesians still lack access to, say,
affordable drinking water. Diarrhea is still the second highest
killer of children under the age of five," said Boyce.

Other problems mentioned were reduced public funding, higher
costs of schooling, lower family incomes, a decline in the
quality and standard of education and an increase in student
drop-out rates.

"Government services today reach millions of users from Aceh
to Semarang, over to Papua, but there are still common challenges
in management, in fiscal and in administrative areas," said
Boyce.

"The United States demonstrates its commitment to work with
Indonesians as partners in assuring that the next generation is
ready and able to continue to make Indonesia prosperous and
healthy in the future," said Linborg.

This partnership will be conducted in cooperation with local
governments, non-government organizations, the private sector.

"The reason we are signing this agreement is to reflect that
many, many tasks must be accomplished in order to make the future
come out in a positive way," said Boyce.

"The signing today is the official reflection of our ongoing
assistance that is already in place... Obviously we have changed
the content of it since reformasi and since demokrasi," said
Boyce.

"And today with the complete advice and input of experts from
the Indonesian side we have a new approach to assistance for
Indonesia, which is focused very much on health and education --
very much on investment in the future of Indonesia," said the
ambassador.

"Education and health are the two keys to a nation's success,"
said Linborg.