Education in remote areas 'goes unnoticed'

Erwida Maulia ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 09/12/2008 10:52 AM  |  National

The national education program has overlooked children in remote areas, with the government keen on letting NGOs take over the job, experts say.

While some NGOs have successfully addressed the issue of poor access to formal education for children in outlying areas, the government still has a role to play, the Institute for Education Reform's Utomo Dananjaya told a discussion in Jakarta on Wednesday.

"It's okay if NGOs are successful, but government officials shouldn't lose sight of their responsibility. What is the huge education fund for?" Utomo said.

He was speaking to participants of the "Second Public-Private Partnership Discussion Series", organized by the Sampoerna Foundation. Wednesday's theme was "Basic Education Services in Remote Areas".

Like health and infrastructure, education is a priority the government must address in remote regions, Utomo added.

The national participation rate for elementary schools will reach an estimated 95 percent this year.

A poor economy and geographical conditions, among other causes, have hampered the ability of the remaining 5 percent to attend school. In remote regions, the nearest school is often too far for students to reach.

The government has a lot of facilitating to do if children are to fulfill their right to an education, said Triyadi, an official from the Education Ministry's directorate for equal education.

The government has opened learning centers for children in remote islands, he added. Students are brought to the centers on motorcycles provided to tutors, as many parents would otherwise opt to keep children at home due to travel costs.

For students on small islands, the government has provided "school boats", capable of taking large groups of children to school, Triyadi said.

Program coverage is still limited, he added.

Achmad Fathoni Rodli from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)'s Maarif Education Institution accused the government of violating the 2003 Law on the National Education System for its failure to provide "special education services to special areas", including remote and disaster-hit areas.

"We don't need to dream up any more innovations to address this issue. Just uphold the law: provide special areas with special education," Achmad said.

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