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.