Bantaeng regency: Scant in riches, rich in brains

Andi Hajramurni ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Makassar   |  Mon, 07/07/2008 10:31 AM  |  The Archipelago

With a population of 196,000 and covering only 395 square kilometers, Bantaeng is the smallest and least developed regency in South Sulawesi.

Located about 125 kilometers south of the provincial capital Makassar, the regency's limited natural resources and growing population have proved a stumbling block for development, with land being used mainly for houses.

The number of skilled workers makes up a tiny fraction of the burgeoning population, thus restricting job opportunities.

To address the shortage of skilled workers, the Bantaeng administration has made human resource development a top priority.

"We are well aware of the limited natural resources in Bantaeng, so it's unlikely we can accommodate the available human resources," Bantaeng Regent Azikin Soulthan told The Jakarta Post recently.

"We must empower residents to be skilled and ready workers, so they can find employment in other provinces."

The administration has made great efforts to improve the quality and skills of workers, especially in the education sector.

A 2002 program to provide free birth certificates for every child has been lauded as an innovative and spectacular breakthrough, and earned Bantaeng an award from Unicef.

Azikin said the main driving force behind the program was to allow all children access to education, since a state-issued birth certificate is required to register a child at state schools.

Following on the success of this program, the administration implemented a free education program in 2003. Initially targeted for elementary and junior high school levels, it has now expanded to include senior high school level.

The administration also provides financial assistance for university students working on research programs or theses.

Bantaeng implemented these free education policies long before the state-sponsored School Operation Funds (BOS) program was launched.

"We have been providing free education since 2003, before BOS was available. By applying the cross-subsidy system, we were able to use funds from the provincial budget," Azikin said.

With all elementary and secondary school students now exempt from paying tuition fees, the administration is focusing on improving education standards. The regency's school-based education management system now applies an active, creative and enjoyable learning method, which is expected to further develop students' aptitude.

Bantaeng is also implementing the school-based Internet education program. Set up in cooperation with Sekolah Cerdas Indonesia, the program enables students and teachers to interact with their peers in other schools across the country that have also subscribed to the program. Students can choose learning methods from other schools and find information to broaden their knowledge base.

"I have always emphasized the mastery of information as the key to success. One way to master information is by learning, and continuing to add to one's knowledge, from the Internet, because it is a complete and easily accessible source of information," Azikin said.

More than 20 percent of the regency's budget, well over Rp 40 billion, has been allocated for education this year -- not including teachers' salaries.

The administration is also providing free identity card applications for all residents.

Although its main focus is on human resource development, the administration is also making the most of its scant natural resources.

Agricultural and marine products, as well as natural springwater, are among its main commodities. Seaweed cultivation is another potentially lucrative source of revenue. With a 28-kilometer-long coastline and pristine seas, more and more fishing communities, are now turning to seaweed farming, with demand coming mainly from overseas.

Azikin urged residents to help raise living standards by optimizing and developing the regency's limited natural resources, and said creativity and innovation were key.

"Creative and innovative people are necessary to manage the limited natural resources well, and to turn them into commodities of high economic value," Azikin said.

"So students must be provided with a good education to nurture their entrepreneurial spirit."

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